Hard Blunt Steele
by WritersOfTheRain
Summary: After years of failed relationships, Anastasia has given up on love altogether and thrown herself into her new role as CEO of a multi-million dollar engineering firm with her business partner Kathryn Kavanagh. The stress of her new life throws her into a world of hot male escorts and one-night stands. But what happens when new escort, Christian Grey, challenges her new way of life?
1. Chapter 1

"Ms. Steele, your next, erm, appointment is here."

I heaved a sigh as I glanced down at my new designer pencil skirt and ran my fingers over the soft fabric.

Anastasia Steele: CEO, Steele-Kavanagh Engineering Corp. I liked the sound of it. It was bold. Stately. Powerful. And yet, after three hours of insidious debate with the VP of Engineering, I still had no resolution to the performance problem with our state-of-the-art wind turbine. Millions of dollars were at risk and it seemed as though no one except me was seeing the urgency of the issue.

"We've got ultrasonic transducers shipping today, Ms. Steele. They can detect cracks and flaws to ensure the problem doesn't repeat itself," Tom had said.

"You're missing the point, Tom." I could still recall his face flushing as I stepped in closer and stared him down. "We have over 100 useless damaged turbines sitting on the property our number one customer. Future prevention techniques won't solve their problem. I need feet on the ground now to get those shipped back here and either replaced or repaired."

The argument had continued far longer than it should have. I finally dismissed Tom with a stark "get it done or get out". My patience had run far too thin.

For this reason, my secretary's announcement of my next "appointment" was a welcome song to my ears. I needed a release. Badly. And today was Toby's day; he was my favorite. I closed my eyes and envisioned the tousled brown hair, warm but piercing eyes, and his pecks that always felt so beautifully hard under my soft fingers. After so many years of failed relationships, these moments had become the highlight of my week. Kate was not a fan and loved to discourage my escapades, but it seemed there did not exist any men who could handle a woman like me.

So instead, I took them in doses – short, hot, and hard doses.

The door creeked open and shut. I continued staring out the window, sticking my ass out behind me in wont.

"Ms. Steele. I hope you are ready for me."

I smiled to myself, "I've done my best to prepare. But I've had a rough day so I'm afraid you'll be doing most of the work this afternoon."

I turned around to find him looking oh-so-gorgeous in a pair of sweat pants that, you know, accentuated certain areas just right, and a fitted white t-shirt I couldn't wait to rip off. He looked down on me with needy, greedy eyes.

"I've been waiting all day for this."

He walked right up to me so his nose was just inches from mine. I could smell him and his presence was giving me goosebumps. He let the moment linger, moving around my face as if to breath in my scent. His finger ran up my thigh.

He shoved me up against my desk and began hastily unbuttoning my shirt. I let my head hang backward as I felt his hands encompass me, and prepared for an hour completely free of worry, concern, and most of all, business.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Are you even listening to me, Ana? Don't tell me I'm catching you right after a round of man candy."

I came back to the present. Kate was sitting across from me, glaring, but all I could do was smile. My session with Toby was perfect. I had gotten completely lost in him. I re-imagined how he had sat me on the window sill, buck naked. I wrapped my bare legs around his waste while he sucked at my nipples and then felt his fingers plunge inside me, exploring, preparing the way for that amazing cock.

"I just had some therapy, that's all," I said.

Kate's eyes widened. "Anastasia Steele! How long are you going to go on like this? Don't you have any desire to, I don't know, settle down a little? Even just for a couple of months?"

I sighed. I was getting tired of having this conversation, but clearly Kate needed the script repeated. Again. "Kate, I love you to pieces, I really do. But you were there for my last three relationships. Have you forgotten already? Men love a woman like me until things start to get serious – then suddenly I'm expected to pull all the weight. I can't do it anymore, you know that. I need a man. A man who can meet me on my level instead of becoming a big ball of nervrd whenever I get upset –"

"Okay, okay, okay," Kate held her hands up in submission. "I get it, okay? I just don't know if it's healthy. You're using protection, right?"

"Oh my God, Kate, what are you, my fucking mom? Of course I am. Can we talk about business now? My love life isn't on the agenda, last time I checked."

Kate turned back to the proposal in front of her and we reviewed the terms.

Fifteen minutes later, we pulled our things together and headed to the elevator. I was looking forward to getting back to our massive apartment and hiding out in the TV room for a few hours with a copy of _Pride and Prejudice_. It felt so good to transport myself back to a simpler time when men were _real_ men and the world wasn't so massive and stressful.

"So do you know who you're taking to the fundraiser this weekend yet?" Kate probed.

 _Ah fuck_. I'd completely forgotten about it.

Kate observed the look of bewilderment on my face. "I take it that's a no?"

I scowled. "I'll just go alone. People do that, don't they?"

"No," Kate cried, "they don't! And neither will you."

"Well, I don't have much choice. The escort agency gets booked out at least two weeks in advance."

Kate gave me a knowing smile. "Maybe you do have a choice."

 _Uh oh._ I knew that look on her face. _Shit._ She'd been counting on this. She knew how flaky I was – she knew damn well I'd forget to line someone up. The elevator door opened and we joined ten of our closest, most cranky friends for the ride down to freedom.

"Oh, for God's sake, Kate," I murmured, "just tell me his name already so I can tell you no."

"I'm a little insulted that you have so little trust in my judgment. I could find you a fine man if you'd give me the chance."

"Shit, it's someone I know, isn't it? I told you, I'm not dating Harvey from accounting. It's against my moral code to fuck within the company."

"I'm not talking about Harvey – although you two would make an amazing couple. I wonder if I can get him fired…"

"Kate." I was getting frustrated.

She looked at me innocently. "What?"

"The name?" I asked.

Just then the elevator door opened and we were forced out with the throng like a tidal wave. I managed to grab Kate's arm before I completely lost her to the escalator. We stepped on together and I gave her an expectant look.

She smiled. "You know the guy I'm dating, Elliot?"

I nodded. "You mean the one you've been dating for the past year? Yes, I'm familiar with him. I'm particularly familiar with the sex noises he makes in the middle of the night. Can't you guys fuck at bedtime like every other person?"

"Hey, the time of night I choose to fuck is my own business! And you're changing the subject. Elliot has a brother."

"Wait, hang on. Your boyfriend of one year has a brother and you're only just now telling me?"

We stepped off the escalator and followed the crowd into the street. We waited by the curb while our car meandered slowly to through the traffic to our side.

"Um, did you not hear yourself ten minutes ago? 'Don't hook me up with anyone, Kate. You have horrible taste in men, Kate.'" She was mocking me.

"That's not what I said," I huffed.

"Well, anyways, I just found out myself. His name, since you're so adamant to know, is Christian. Apparently Elliot avoids introducing him to people; he's a bit of a loner or something."

"And you want to introduce him to _me_?"

"Okay, first of all, Ana, he's drop-dead gorgeous. I mean, _way_ more fuckable than any of the escorts you keep patronizing. And second of all, does it really matter? You need a date in four days and I don't see any other options magically presenting themselves."

She was right. As much as I threatened to show up at the fundraiser alone, I knew I'd never do it. It fit way too easily into the image everyone already had of me: female CEO, single and sexless, giving up love for piles of money. I couldn't stand the idea of perpetuating that ridiculous social stereotype.

"I'll think about it."

Kate grinned wildly. "That's all I ask."

 _I hate it when she wins._

Our car pulled up and we headed home.

 _ **Happy Holiday, my lovely readers! Please leave a comment, I love hearing your thoughts! Also, as a Christmas gift, I'm giving all my readers a sneak peek at my upcoming continuation of my published novel, "Losing You". If you'd like to be on the list of recipients, email me at pjhaynie at yahoo dot com.**_

 _ **Mwah!**_


	3. Fifty Shades of Mind-Fcked

_**Guys, I just finished watching "Fifty Shades of Grey" after a rather long hiatus (not intentionally, I just haven't gotten around to it) and I'm once again blown away by the moving nature of the story. The characters I've fallen in love with: Ana, who I feel so close and so attached to and who reminds me so much of me. Kate, who represents any best friend I ever had – always more sophisticated, more charming, and more social than me, but loving my awkward self just the same. Ana's mom who seems like the mom I always wish I had. And of course, Christian, who I hate and love to pieces all at the same time; who put me into such a huge mind fuck in the first book that I almost threw the damn thing into the fire.**_

 _ **E.L. James is a bad writer – fine whatever. The bottom line is, she has created characters that are beyond unforgettable. I've never felt so much passion for a character that I started a story absolutely despising. This is the epitome of good writing, IMO: to bring your audience to love a character that, for all intents and purposes, they should hate. To teach people to love the villain. To give soul to a soulless human. To find the tiny piece of withering heart left inside someone so broken and torn that they don't even know what it feels like to be a human being.**_

 _ **This is my journey. This is my goal. To create a story as mind-blowing as this. To create characters that leave people tethered to their seats, sitting in bewildered silence long after the reading is done. To be so lost in this world, they're not quite sure how to return to theirs. And frankly, to give the world a perspective on human beings that perhaps they've never given flying fuck's worth of consideration.**_

 _ **I would have called Christian an ass-wipe, a dickhead, a total and utter sociopath under normal circumstances. And while I don't doubt I could never be in a relationship with him, I feel like I see the world entirely different now. Things aren't so black and white anymore. It's been very freeing. I suppose that was James' goal?**_

 _ **Thank you so much for walking this journey with me so far. To know that there are people that care for my stories even just a little bit means the world. I hope someday you'll find me standing proudly behind a book of epic proportions that makes non-criers like me bawl over and over and over.**_

 _ **I don't care if my stories are never popular. I don't care if they never make me millions of dollars or they're never "the next Fifty Shades of Grey". I just want to know they made a difference to someone, somewhere. I want to know someone felt the story so deeply that they forgot what world they lived in for a short time. I think we all need that. We need stories that help our problems seem small. We need narratives that give us new insights. We need characters that help us realize that perhaps we have much more potential, depth, and darkness than we ever imagined. And that maybe – just maybe - all three of those things (not just the first two) are what make a person great.**_

 _ **Anyways, I really wanted to share these thoughts with all of you tonight. Please keep reading, please keep commenting, please keep helping me improve. It gets me that much closer to my dream – TO BREAK YOUR HEARTS INTO A MILLION PIECES!**_

 _ **Lol. Love you all. More chapters coming soon. And for those of you following "Muddy Heels", I promise your curiosity and desire to meet the mysterious stranger will be rectified before too long. I just have to string you a long for a little while longer. Because that's what I do.**_ __


	4. Chapter 3

I tried to avoid her for the next two days, I really did. I knew Kate too well; she wasn't going to stop until I was sipping cocktails with this Christopher or Christian or whatever his name was and I really didn't have time for it. The following day, I spent all morning phoning the escort companies I trusted, hoping to find a cancellation. Nothing. I got waitlisted for all of them. That had never happened before. Of course, I was normally very good about planning my sexcapades ahead of time.

Despite my efforts to duck Kate, I really shouldn't have been surprised to find her camped out by the door of my office at the end of the day. It reminded me that I needed to rig that secret exit I'd been mentally planning.

But, no matter. I walked right past her, flashing none but a pitiful smile in my wake. She didn't seem surprised, but I couldn't help but feel a tad confused when she didn't pursue me.

I said good-bye to my secretaries and hit the elevator button. Kate was still standing by my office door, staring.

 _What on earth is she doing? Is this some kind of game?_

The elevator door opened…

 _Oh. My. God._

From the inside of what I could only imagine was an elevator from Mecca stood the most tasty, most gorgeous hunk of man I'd ever seen. My nipples hardened immediately. I felt my jaw drop as his eyes met mine. I couldn't move. I just stared like an idiot as my mind took me on a journey straight to my office where he was cowering over me at my desk, ripping my skirt off and burying his face between my legs.

"Anastasia?"

I was instantaneously whipped back to the present.

 _Shit. He knows my name. What do I say? Who is he and why is he here? Wait, did one of the escort services come through? But it's the wrong night!_

I continued to stare, baffled. Then it hit me.

"Christian…" I massaged my forehead with my fingers.

He nodded and stepped off the elevator. He looked about as excited about this arrangement as I was.

Kate came bouncing over to us like slobbering puppy dog, her eyes aglow with the rays of a thousand suns; her victory face.

"Christian!" she cried. She gave him a small hug – which he didn't seem to appreciate. I wasn't sure he really liked her, actually. Well, I wasn't sure he really liked _anyone_.

"Hello, Kate," he stated blankly.

"Christian, this is my best friend I told you about, Anastasia Steele. She's very excited to grab a drink with you now that she's off work."

Kate gestured to me with insistent eyes, sending a very clear message that backing out was not an option. I didn't give a damn. Fine, he was gorgeous. Fine, I didn't have anything else to do. But I couldn't let her win.

"I guess your friend Christian doesn't know much about me," I said flippantly, tossing my hair over my shoulder. "If he did, he'd be aware that I'm _far too busy_ for fraternizing."

This time the insistent look was mine. I stepped past them to the elevator, making sure to brush his sizzling hot shoulder on the way, and hit the button again. Kate glowered but unfortunately, like me, she was never one to give up a fight. She opened her mouth to protest but, unexpectedly, Christian jumped in.

"I have some work that needs attending to as well. Perhaps it's not the best day for either of us to be 'fraternizing'." He air-quoted the word – he was making fun of me! "Perhaps we can settle for sharing an elevator?"

I huffed. "As long as I get to my next appointment on time." I didn't have an appointment, but I needed both Kate and Christian to believe I did.

The door opened and we squeezed past the crowd to the back wall. Kate didn't follow for some odd reason. It was relieving. I'd had enough pushiness for one evening. _Maybe I'll eat out tonight._

"Bit of a bitch, isn't she?"

I looked up at Christian in shock. "Excuse me?"

"Kate. She's a bitch. How do you work with her every day?"

 _Wow. Talk about gall. Pushy? Yes. Annoying as hell? Yep. But bitchy? I'd never go so far as to call her that._

"You have some nerve. How does she stand having you for a boyfriend-in-law?"

"You don't agree, then? I would've said different from the encounter you two just had."

I folded my arms across my chest. "She has her moments, but she's not a bitch. She's my best friend, for God's sake."

He shrugged. "Okay."

 _That's it? Just 'okay'?_

The elevator opened and the crowd rushed out. I rode the wave and then got smushed up against Christian on the escalator. He smelled so very nice, it was ungodly. He didn't seem to even notice I was there.

"So is this how you treat all your blind dates? Cancel the date before it starts and then call their friends bitches?"

He smirked. "I believe you're the one who called off the date. I'd be more than happy to grab a drink if you're still up for it."

He gazed down at me with those beautiful blue eyes. It was hard not to imagine myself unbuttoning his shirt, then kissing that sexy chest while I stared…

 _It's a damn good thing girls don't get visible erections_ , I thought.

I pulled myself back together. "Look, the thing is, I'm not exactly the kind of girl most guys can handle. It's better this way. Relationships always end the same way for me." I motioned a thumbs-down.

He leaned in and looked at me knowingly. "Perhaps you haven't tried the right kind of relationship."

I studied him for a moment. Something kooky was running through that brain of his, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Needless to say, it had me…intrigued.

"Maybe," I said, "but I have too much shit going on. I don't have time to take the reins in a relationship on top it."

We stepped off the escalator and the crowd shifted. I was immediately pulled to the left, Christian to the right. I was happy to let him go, off to whatever important task he had to accomplish, but at the last second he grabbed my hand, pulled me in towards him and shoved me up against a pillar, protected from the current of the throng. The crowd was so dense, he had to tower against me to keep from being dragged away. He grabbed the pillar behind me with both hands, shielding me with his body, and gazed into my eyes. His nose was just inches from mine.

I could barely breath.

"So what you're saying is," he began, his jaw set and his eyes ablaze, "you're looking for a man who doesn't submit".

His gaze was digging deep, as if he was seeing straight into my soul. It was frightening, but…exhilarating at the same time. I couldn't think of a single moment in my entire life when I'd been looked like this. Goosebumps spread across my arms and legs, the noise in the building dulled to a whisper, and, for a moment, it was just me and this steamy hot stranger named Christian.

He was so goddamn fuckable.

I couldn't do more than nod in answer to his question.

He reached up to stroke my hair with his left hand, then leaned in to my ear.

"You want to be dominated," he whispered.

I couldn't answer. His statement made little sense to me, but the way he said it…it made me want to explode right there in the middle of one of the busiest buildings in Seattle. I completely lost my concentration and grabbed his elbows as a passerby bumped into me. Christian helped right me, then brooded his shoulders to keep me in place.

"Just relax. I've got you. You aren't going anywhere," he said, his tone firm but reassuring.

My entire body calmed under his strong physique and I felt more comfortable and safe than ever before.

"I don't know what to say right now," I whispered. I could feel the veins and tendons of his arms beneath my fingers.

I knew what I wanted to do: I wanted to walk to the bar with him, tell him my life story, let it all out, then fuck him all night long. But I wasn't willing to give up my position of power. I couldn't be vulnerable. That never worked.

He released me as the crowd began to dissipate and straightened his tie. His tone turned formal again.

"If you want to get that drink, give me a call. Kate has my number," he stepped in towards me one more time, "Anastasia".

And as quickly as he came, he was gone.


	5. Chapter 4

I stumbled into my apartment that afternoon and hardly glanced at Kate glowering on the couch. I burst through my bedroom door and dove for my vibrator. I was ready to come. I'd been holding off ever since Christian left my side in the office building, and I wanted it to be as hot and intense as possible.

I switched on my little magical apparatus of ecstasy and lay on my bed, already panting. My mind took me straight back to the office building where Christian was towering over me, exuding sexual energy like a force field. I imagined his hands pushing me up against the pillar as they slipped under my clothes and began exploring my body. In moments he was fucking me hard and fast, glaring at me with those piercing animalistic eyes. I had my release, violent and deep, just as I'd hoped. His lips met mine as I soared high and heavy into carnal bliss. I slowly floated down, down, down until my feet found the ground again and heaved a sigh of satisfaction. That fantasy could run on replay for weeks.

"What does it take to get you to listen to me once in your fucking life?"

I stopped briefly outside the door of my office, my key poised to unlock the door, and waited impatiently for Kate to finish her rant.

"He was hot. He was smart. And I know you liked him because I saw you two in the lobby. Hell, everyone saw you. And still, you walked away. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Technically, he walked away," I grumbled.

"Don't try to pin this on him. You haven't called him, have you? Goddamnit, Ana, you are so stubborn, why do I even try to help you at all?"

I looked over at Kate, gave her an apathetic shrug, and disappeared into my office.

Solice. At last.

Until the phone rang anyways.

Damnit, it's not even 7 yet, who is calling this early?

It occurred to me that I still hadn't had my morning coffee. I paged my Assistant, Adam, then picked up the phone and barked a sloppy greeting.

"Anastasia Steele, hello, this is Cultivated Connections, responding to a last-minute request for an escort this Saturday night?"

"Oh yes! Yes, thank you for calling," I stumbled, "has there been a cancellation?"

"Yes, there has. We have someone available Saturday night."

"That's wonderful, thank you. Please send him to my office as usual. Six o' clock."

"Sure thing, Ms. Steele. Now I must remind you that our last-minute booking fee still stands in this case, putting your final bill at almost double our normal fee. Do you agree to these conditions?"

"Yes. Yes, of course. Thanks again."

I hung up and smiled to myself. _See? I can get my own date._

Adam entered quietly with my morning coffee and set the tray on my desk.

"Thanks, Adam. What's on my agenda this morning?"

I barely heard what he said – something about meetings, meetings, and more meetings. I still had the turbine shipment issue to resolve and now we had the accounting department throwing tantrums over the unresolved bills our customers were refusing to pay. Typical morning.

"Reschedule my ten o'clock for two, please – I can't sit down with Accounting until I get an update on the customer status for the Icon shipment and my call with them isn't scheduled until eleven. And clear my lunchtime schedule as well – I'm going to be grabbing a bite with Kate, I imagine."

I smirked. She was so predictable.

Adam headed back to his office to execute and a call rang through from Kate's office. Just as I'd suspected, she wanted to get together for lunch. I agreed on the condition that she make a considerable effort not to bring up my dating life; I'd have enough discussion on the issue. She complied.

By the end of the week, Kate and I were back on good terms and the company crises I'd been managing all week were finally taking a turn for the better. It seemed as though I might actually get some peace of mind over the weekend.

Admittedly, though, my mind had wandered back to Christian on more than one occasion. It seemed impossible to get him out of my head. There was something very distinctly different about him; something raw and mysterious. I'd never met a man like him before. I began to wonder if I should give him a call. Maybe give it a chance…

 _No!_ I thought to myself. _No, we've been down that road. I can't do relationships; it just doesn't work. Escorts only, that's the rule._

By Saturday evening I'd managed to decrease my fantasies of him down to just once a day. And me and my vibrator had only had a go round over him twice. Okay, maybe three times…

Fine, it was four.

But I was determined to leave him be for one evening. Fundraisers weren't amongst my most favorite events, but I was looking forward to some socializing, some drinks, and the company of a handsome, very fuckable stranger.

A stranger with no strings attached.

I'd spent the entire day at the office tying up the loose ends from the week, so I didn't start getting ready until almost five. I tidied up my desk and pulled my silk dress out of its sheath. I'd had Adam pick it out for me and boy did he do a fantastic job. It was a deep purple color – the shade of a beautiful and tart red wine. It was sleeveless with a diamond-studded crew neck and a shapely fit that hugged my body just right. I stepped into my very luxurious bathroom and pulled the dress on, admiring myself in the mirror. I pared it with a set of diamond earrings I'd borrowed from Kate, and pulled my hair into a wild up-do that left sophisticated tendrils cascading across my cheeks.

Perfect. I was ready to blow my escort away – hopefully in more ways than one, by the time the night was over.

Around 5:45 I heard a knock on my office door. _Huh, maybe he's early._

I sauntered over to the door, striking a sexy pose as I opened the door.

"Damn, girl, you clean up good!"

It was Kate. I laughed and made a kissy face at her. "You ain't seen nothing yet, darling. Are you and Elliot about to head out?"

"Yeah, just wanted to check on you and make sure you don't bar yourself up in the office for the evening."

I shook my head. "Not tonight. Tonight I plan to let loose a little and hopefully get a little tipsy with you before the evening is over."

Kate giggled. "Good."

Elliott showed up behind her. "We'd better get going, babe. Hey Ana, sorry things didn't work out with Christian. He can be kind of an ass."

Kate glared at him. "Elli, I told you not to say anything."

"It's okay," I responded, "he was a nice enough guy, I'm just not looking for a relationship right now."

Elliott smirked. "Well, it's just as well. Apparently he's tied up tonight too. Who knows what he's tied up with – I don't think I've ever seen the guy go on a date before."

I gazed at him curiously; I hadn't expected that. A guy like Christian, with his looks, never dating? That didn't seem right.

"I'll walk you guys to the elevator. My date is probably on his way up anyways."

I freshened my make up, grabbed my purse, and followed them to the elevator. The office was so quiet and serene at night. It was weird and terrifying, but also a bit comforting. It made the place feel a little bit more homey and a lot less stressful – I knew no one would coming storming through my door with any crises.

Kate hit the elevator button and turned to me. "So, Ana, do you know who your date is tonight?"

It occurred to me that I hadn't gotten a name from the agency. I blinked my eyes in confusion. "I don't know, actually. I didn't ask."

Just then, the elevator door opened and a man stepped out. I immediately flushed red. Elliot turned and cocked an eyebrow at me while Kate placed her hands on her hips and gave me a cheeky smile.

"Kate, what the hell?" I yelled as the man stepped out, a look of triumph on his face.

"What do you mean?" Kate said, motioning towards our unexpected guest. "Ana, why didn't you just tell me? This is great!"

My jaw fell open – she didn't know? I was lost. We all seemed to be lost.

It appeared that not one of us had expected to see Christian Grey step off that elevator.

 _ **So I'm starting a weekly Christian Grey quote email list. Every week I'll email out one of his quotes from the book (probably a sexy one, hehe) to everyone on the list. If you want to be on the list, PM me your email address!**_


	6. Chapter 5

Christian gestured towards my office with wry smile. "Perhaps we should discuss."

I glowered but accepted his invitation, stomping all the way to my office and throwing the door open with heroic force.

Is Kate just feigning innocence? Is he stalking me? Maybe Elliott tipped him off?

The only answers I could dig up would lead him to a cold, hard rejection and me to a stag fundraiser.

I walked to the middle of the office, turned around, and crossed my arms over my chest.

Christian stopped a few feet from me and raised his eyebrows.

"Well?" I asked.

"Well…what?" Christian responded.

I threw my hands up in frustration. "Aren't you going to explain?"

He looked at me curiously. "I thought you were going to explain."

"Explain what exactly?!"

"Well, for one, why you're so pissed off. It appears all I have to do is enter the room to send smoke out of your ears."

"That tends to happen when people stalk me," I huffed.

He laughed heartily. "Stalk you? Sorry, sweetheart, that's not my game. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't invited me."

I stared blankly. What on earth is he talking about? I hadn't so much as sent a telepathic message to him since…

Then it hit me. Shit. Is this for real?

I bowed my face into my hand. "You work for Cultivated Connections…"

He stepped forward, pulling my hand off my face. "Is that really such a disappointment?"

I pulled my arm from his grasp. "Did you rig this? You knew it was me who needed an escort, didn't you? You worked the system."

A look of insult shadowed his eyes. "Honey, you're beautiful, but you're not on the list of women I'd risk a felony for." He watched me closely. "I had another date tonight – someone far more famous than you – but she canceled. So here I am. It's as simple as that."

I walked over to the window and stared down at the city, my hands spreading across the heating vents.

"I'm not sure I understand what the problem is," he said, approaching me from behind. "I don't think I've ever had a woman be disappointed about being escorted by me."

I whipped around and folded my arms. "I told you. Relationships don't work for me."

He scoffed. "Last time I checked, you called an escort service. There's nothing in the paperwork stipulating a relationship." He gestured flippantly. "If there was, I sure as hell wouldn't be _here_ right now."

My eyes widened at his insult. "Well maybe you should go home and have a date with your dick."

His eyes narrowed. He stepped in closer. "Let's say I did. What would you do about your date tonight?" He stepped in again. "You'd show up by yourself? Or maybe as the third member of a threesome with your bitchy friend and my brother out there?" He stepped in again, his face just inches from mine. "And let's not forget that your deposit is non-refundable." He stepped in as far as he could, leaning over me and positioning his hands forcefully on the window behind me. "Oh, and one more thing." He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "You _like_ my dick."

I couldn't move. Tingles were running up and down my body and my ass was constricting. He stayed put, breathing on my ear while his pelvis pushed harder against me. I had to bite my lip to keep from letting a moan escape my throat.

My feelings pissed me off. I shoved him back, turned around and slammed my fists against the windows with a grunt. I suddenly wished I had a fire escape to flee down, away from this menacingly seductive man. I huffed for a moment, letting the dark shadowed skyline calm my nerves, then turned around.

He was smiling. "Fine, you win," I seethed, "I'm too late to get another date and I hate wasting money."

I stalked towards the door to give in to my fate. He stopped me as I brushed past him and regarded me with a wicked grin. "And my dick?"

I wrenched my hand from his grasp and plowed through the office door, Christian chuckling behind me.

Kate grinned as I approached the elevator. The doors began to open. "You guys get it all worked out?"

I blew right past her and shoved myself into the back corner. Kate and Elliott exchanged concerned glances. Christian was still smiling.

The doors closed and Kate looked over at me. "So…are we all going together? What's the deal?"

"It turns out," I huffed, "that your boyfriend's brother works for the escort service I called."

Elliott's face brightened. "No way! Way to go, man!" He raised his hand up for a high five, but Christian glared. "Okay, okay, we can celebrate later…"

"Ana is a little underwhelmed with the service of the agency this evening," Christian began, "but I believe we've found _one_ perk she's looking forward to taking advantage of." He winked at me.

My chin dropped. _Of all the…_

I stayed silent all the way to the bottom floor, then to the limo, then to the fundraiser. I knew I'd have to cheer up eventually, but I could not figure out how I was going to do it. I was so blindsided by this unexpected arrangement…and I hated surprises.

We finally pulled up in front of the Sydney Center and Christian was kind enough to help me out of the limo.

His teasing and overbearing demeanor seemed to have melted away by the time we reached the entrance and I began to think maybe the evening wouldn't be a total disaster after all.

Elliott and Christian took our coats and Kate and I headed to the ballroom.

"Don't say anything," I warned, "not a damn thing."

She held up her hands defensively. "I wasn't gonna say a word."

 _Good_. I relaxed a little.

"So what's his 'perk'?"

"Kate!" I hissed, but I didn't have time to scold her; we were entering the busy and decorative ballroom. I was immediately overtaken by the beauty of the place – they had pulled all the stops. White silk cloth was draped elegantly across the walls and thick curtains of bright gold hung to the sides of the tall, gaping windows. The vaulted ceiling had an amazing mural of sparkly stars in a deep blue sky with trails of dust swirling around in hypnotizing fashion. Down from the middle of the roof hung the most amazing chandelier I'd ever seen. It was easily 10 feet wide with the most intricate crystalline beads cascading over each other before coming together at the bottom around a silver-plated sheath of mirrors.

I was still admiring the beauty when a pessimistic voice piped up beside me.

"Well, it looks like you made it after all, Ms. Steele. I see you've made a solo trip tonight – or is Ms. Kavanaugh your date?"

I turned to find Leon Dietrick – the President of Dietrick Turbines and our biggest competitor – standing smugly before me. His wife was daintily poised next to him with the same braggart look on her face. I dug up a smile and ignored his snide commentary.

"It's good to see you too, Leon. Tell me, was this place built yet when you were born?"

He grimaced. "Very funny, Ms. Steele." He emphasized the "Ms", wrapping his arm tighter around his wife's waist. "I heard you're still struggling with the Cedar Ridge account. That's a rough road – those turbines aren't cheap. Not that we're complaining, of course." He released a sickly chuckle. Kate rolled her eyes and excused herself to find Elliott. She was great at confrontation but preferred to be choosy about her battles. I, however, had taken it on as a sport.

I squared my shoulders. I was ready for this battle. "I see you've been keeping your eye on us." I looked up at him innocently. "Why is that, exactly?" 

"Oh, well I don't know about that – it's hard to miss it when your company is all over the news."

"Yes, I suppose publicity is a new concept for you, isn't it?"

I was about to excuse myself to get a drink when Christian arrived at my side. "Sorry, baby, the line was a bit long." He handed me a rum and diet – _how did he know that was my favorite drink?_

He pecked me on the cheek and pulled me close. I appreciated the opportunity to prove Leon wrong so I played along. "Is everything okay at the house? The cat didn't get out again, did she?"

"No, everything is fine sweetheart, you worry too much."

Christian turned to Leon. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friend?" I had to smile. He knew this game all too well. He must've smelled the competitive tension from a mile away.

"Oh, how rude of me!" I gasped, placing my had over my mouth dramatically. "Leon, this is Christian Grey. Christian, this is Leon Dietrick. He's the President of Dietrick Turbines."

Leon stared in wonderment as he shook Christian's hand. "Dietrick turbines?" Christian feigned deep thought. "I believe I've heard of that company before. Small organization, outside Seattle, right?"

Leon blushed. "I'm sorry, did you say your name is Christian Grey?"

Christian nodded proudly.

"THE Christian Grey? Grey Enterprise Holdings?"

"The one and only."

"Wow, you are a legend around here. It completely blew my mind when they shut you guys down – you didn't deserve that. The company was brilliantly run."

Christian's face stiffened and he shifted uncomfortably. "Thank you. It was unfortunate."

"Well, we have some more schmoozing to do. Good luck at the auction later."

Leon and his trophy wife finally sauntered away and I looked up at Christian with expectation. "Grey Enterprise Holdings? A brilliantly run company? What was that all about?"

Christian avoided my eyes, glancing over at the dance floor where a few older couples were waltzing to a slow tune.

"Come dance with me."


	7. Chapter 6

It was getting really difficult to pretend I wasn't completely swooning in the arms of Christian Grey. His dancing was impeccable (of course), he smelled amazing (figures), and he kept singing along to the song in this amazing baritone voice (seriously, is there _anything_ wrong with this guy?). I took the occasion to rest my head on his shoulder and pretend I wasn't stressed out over the high-profile event and the awkward encounter with my competition.

"Thank you," I said.

Christian peered down at me. "For what?"

I looked up into his eyes. "For saving me from my frumpy single slut reputation. For some reason everyone else is happier when they believe I'm in a committed relationship with a house in the burbs."

He shook his head. "It's so ridiculous for anyone to think that way. It's so far from the truth, I'm surprised it even bothers you."

"I have to let it bother me. My business depends on it."

He shrugged. "I suppose I can relate to that. Nobody survives the business world without secrets." His mind seemed to wander.

"And what's your story, by the way? Grey Enterprise Holdings? I can't believe you waited this long to tell me, I mean, what the hell are you doing working as an escort? You were a legend around here."

I admit, I was a little starstruck. Everyone knew about Grey Enterprise Holdings. Of course, they also knew about the scandal. I didn't know much about it, but everyone heard the headlines: Christian Grey, CEO, had a rogue VP who tried to launder billions of dollars in the name of the company. By the end of years of trials and court proceedings, they had to shut their doors just to keep the entire executive team from going to prison. It was ugly.

Unlike Christian, of course.

He stiffened. "You've seen the news, I'm sure. There's nothing more to tell. I was an idiot to hire Aiken Abernathy; I allowed him to destroy my company."

"Allowed him?" I was shocked to see him taking responsibility. "Last time I heard, he's the one in prison, not you."

"Yeah, well, I got lucky."

"So…you were so depressed from losing your company…you decided to slut yourself out as an escort?"

He glared at me. "I don't slut myself out. I'm a vanilla escort; sex-free. I like to be selective about my sexual partners and I wasn't about to jump in the deep end with a bunch of women I've never even met."

"Okay…" This whole thing still wasn't making sense to me.

He sighed and pulled me closer. "I can't get a job in the corporate world. Not a single one – I couldn't even get hired as a mailroom hand. This was the next best option. I still get to fraternize with the world I once knew and loved, but – well, most of the time, anyways – people don't recognize me. So I get to make my dates look good by talking buy-outs and stocks and I get just a tiny snort of my old addiction."

 _Geez. He really misses his company._

He was starting to look sad so I reached up to touch his cheek. "Hey. Let's not talk about that anymore. We're here in this amazing ballroom making some good things happen in the world. Let's just focus on that."

His eyes met mine and his expression changed. He became focused; determined. He pulled me closer so my nose was against his and lowered his hand just above my backside. He twirled me in circles, never releasing his gaze from mine. As the song came to a close, I saw him glance down at my lips. My breath caught and I realized I could feel him hard against me. And I was soaking wet. He hovered over me for a moment, poised and ready to plant an amazing kiss on my lips, but awaiting my permission. For a moment, I considered.

Reality snapped back into my head – _no, Ana, this never works. You can't fall for him. And this can't go a step further or you're going to end up under him in the back of the limo._

I somehow found the words to excuse myself to the bathroom, pulling myself reluctantly from his embrace and finding it difficult not to take pleasure in the look of disappointment on his face.

I stumbled into the bathroom, hotter and hornier than I could remember ever being – even with Toby. I decided I'd better take matters into my own hands. I fell through one of the stall doors, too anxious to check if it was locked, and hiked my skirt up, massaging myself into a state of calm ecstasy.

 _Oh yes. This is exactly what I need._

I hardly noticed when the door opened. I definitely didn't notice how unusually heavy the sound of the woman's shoes were. In fact, I had no idea what was happening outside of my own pussy until the door to my stall crashed open and Christian Grey's eyes widened at my libidinous self-massacre.

I froze. My face flushed a deep, deep red. I felt completely ridiculous standing there with the skirt of my dress thrown over my arm and my right hand almost completely hidden between my legs. It was a moment I was prepared to add to my list of Most Embarrassing Things I've Done In Front of a Mega-Hot Man.

I felt like a complete idiot until I realized his eyes were staring hungrily, creeping over every inch of my body from head to toe.

 _Holy shit. He likes it._

He stepped in and shut the door.

"I knew it wasn't just me," he whispered as he stepped closer. He stroked my face and then my arm with his fingers, following the curve of my elbow and wrist all the way down to my moist hand. I closed my eyes, doing my best to control myself. When I opened them, he was watching me with patient persistence. With both excitement and a self-scolding, I nodded my head.

His fingers dove into me, taking the place of mine, and he hooked his other arm around my back, flipping me around and pushing me up against the stall door. I immediately grabbed his head and pulled his mouth against mine, reaching my tongue deep between his minty and savory lips and enjoying the feel of his erection against my leg. He removed his hand from its erotic position and slid it around my back to unzip my dress. Just as it fell to the floor, the door of the bathroom flew open again and we both froze.

We stared at each other wide-eyed - I couldn't contain my giggles. Christian smiled and placed his hand over my mouth, eyeing me with warning. The pair of shoes exited and Christian removed his hand, taking a moment to eye my naked body top to bottom. I pulled his bow tie apart so it lay loose and lazy around his neck and began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing his chest lower and lower until I reached his slacks. I placed my index finger on his lips, letting him lick and kiss it for a moment, then dragged it sensually down his face, his neck, his chest, and then to his waistband. I was just about to plunge below his slacks when the door shot open yet again, this time with a different visitor.

"This is security. Please exit the stall with your hands in the air."

 _Oh fuck!_

Christian looked pissed, so much that I held him back from diving through the door at the security guard and whispered hoarsely, "This is my reputation; please don't do anything stupid!"

I pulled my dress back up and Christian zipped it with a scowl. We walked awkwardly from the stall as Christian attempted to button his shirt and rework his bow tie.

"Public sexual activity is against building rules. We're escorting you to the exit."

"It wasn't public, asshole." Christian fronted the security guard, sending me into panic mode. I wedged myself between them and shoved him backward.

"It's not worth it, Christian. Let's just get the hell out of here." Now I was cranky. What had just started to become an enjoyable evening was going downhill very fast. And the last thing I wanted was the entire business community of Seattle discussing my hormonal skankiness in the bathroom for the rest of the evening. It was something I might never live down.

Kate chased us out front, a look of alarm on her face. "What's going on, Ana, what the hell? Is everything okay?"

I grunted. "It _would_ be, if your boyfriend's brother could keep his hands to himself." Christian regarded me curiously. I knew my accusation wasn't fair, but I didn't really give a damn. The night was ruined anyways.

A small smile started to creep across Kate's face as she put two and two together. I didn't like it. "Someone has to represent us in there, Kate, so get your ass back inside."

She smiled and took a small bow. "As you wish."

She hopped her way back inside and I returned my glare to Christian.

"Maybe I missed something, but you seemed to be enjoying our little encounter as much as I was," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "Can we just get out of here? I'd like to pretend this night never happened."

I slunk into the back of the limo and crossed my arms over my chest. What a shitty night. I should've trusted my instincts and told Christian to go back where he came from; I'd have been better off as single slutty Ms. Steele.

Christian sat beside me and lowered the driver's divider window. "Can you take us to La Bourgeois, please?" The driver nodded and pulled away.

"What are you doing?" I insisted. "I told you, I want to go home. I've had enough of you tonight."

"You don't know what you want," he glowered.

"Excuse me? And you do? I'm done taking demands from you. Harold, take me home." 

"No!" Christian was fuming. "La Bourgeois." He turned to me. "You haven't eaten yet and we are _not_ ending the evening this way."

"Like hell we're not!"

The limo pulled up to a stoplight and I wrenched the door open, launching myself onto the sidewalk. Christian was fast at my heels.

"What the fuck are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" 

I ignored him, stalking in the direction that looked the most well-lit. He grabbed my arm and pushed me up against the glass window of the Starbucks the same way he had in the office building lobby so many days ago. "What is your problem? You can't go around jumping out of cars in the middle of Friday night traffic. You'll get yourself hurt!"

"What do you care. I don't have bodyguards and I don't need you following me around to protect me."

I tried to shove him away, but he wouldn't move. "You enjoyed the kiss. You enjoyed our little almost-fuck in the bathroom. Why are you fighting this?"

"There is no 'this' for me to fight, okay?" I started punching his chest and elbowing his ribs. "I had a hormonal moment. Women are known to have those every now and then."

I finally incapacitated him with a hard nipple pinch and ducked under his arm. But to my surprise, I didn't run away immediately. My shoulders slunched and I turned back to him, resigned and near tears. "I'm sorry. This isn't your fault. This just…I…it's…" I sighed and massaged my forehead. "I haven't had a night this stressful in years and the only contributing factor I can find is _you_. It's like you're a fucking curse or something." I placed my hands on my hips and huffed into the darkness, suddenly realizing there was a chill in the air my dress was not made to withstand.

Christian approached me and placed his jacket over my shoulders. For the unreasonably bitchy idiot I was being, he was sure being nice. He pulled me in for a hug and lowered his lips to my ear. "I know this has been a hard night for you, but…this has actually been the most _exciting_ night I've had in years." He chuckled. "I don't think I've ever been kicked out of a black tie event, much less a bathroom."

I had to smile. It was pretty insane. "I really wish I could find out who ratted us out. I'd buy their company and sell it off at auction."

"Careful," he breathed, "that kind of talk is foreplay for me."

I laughed heartily. It felt good. He placed his hand under my chin and raised my eyes to meet his. "Now there's the Ana I was waiting to see."

I melted. He leaned down and pecked me on the lips. I found myself wishing the kiss had lasted longer. He glanced a few doors down where a neon diner sign was buzzing brightly in the darkness. "Now let's get you something to eat."

I sighed. "You may have gotten me to smile, but trying to get me to like you is a stupid fucking idea."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the diner. "I know."


	8. Chapter 7

I scrunched my nose to a tickling sensation. My brain was still lost in depths of la-la land, unwilling to return, but the tickling persisted. I finally gave my face a good smack to ward off the tiny offender in hopes of returning to my peaceful slumber.

"Ouch!"

My eyes shot open. A pair of soulless gray eyes glared at me sardonically, the hand belonging to the eyes flailing in pain. "Jesus, you've got an arm."

I smirked at the surprise on Christian's face. I'd wanted to smack him a million times since I'd met him and here I'd managed it without even trying – I somewhat regretted having missed the satisfaction of a purposeful slap but it would have to do.

"That's what you get for torturing me when I'm trying to sleep."

"I was wiping the makeup from your face. It was supposed to be endearing."

I smiled. "You? Endearing? Are you turning over a new leaf?"

He scowled and turned away from me, pulling himself off the large soft bed. "Breakfast is ready soon. I hope you like pancakes."

 _Yum._ I turned over and heaved a sigh. It was too dark to see his room the night before, but with the light flooding in from the window I could see how incredibly huge it was. It was plainly decorated, but stalwartly constructed so that it felt cool and crisp. It was comforting in a way – as if I was in the home of someone who would always remember to take care of every detail to perfection.

I rolled over and glanced at the bedside clock sitting unassumingly next to a small set of keys. 8am. Normally I'd already be up pouring over contracts and finances on my laptop, but this Sunday it felt good to be lazy. The runoff from all the alcohol in my system didn't put me in a position to be energetic anyways. I mused over the events of the evening before – the awful horrible evening that ended up being one of the best of my life.

Christian and I had headed over to the diner and grabbed a booth as far from the greasy kitchen as possible. We both ordered food we'd normally never eat and packed it down like a couple of wild animals. Then we started on the beer. They had a large variety of cheap knock-off beers available so we started a contest to see which one was the worst. When I ran to the bathroom to puke after Candidate #5, we figured we'd found our winner.

"There's something…eclectic about sitting in this diner in our fancy clothes," Christian had mused. "It's almost charming."

"That's the beer talking," I teased.

He laughed heartily. "Usually it takes a couple of scotches to get me to even consider a place like this…"

"Yes, you don't strike me as a beer drinker. Is this your first time?" I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. "Christian Grey: are you a beer virgin?"

"I'm not sure I'd qualify as _any_ kind of virgin."

The way he bore his eyes into me with that statement made my knees weak. I tipped back another drink of my beer to distract myself from the tingling sensations cascading across my limbs.

"Do you want to go? Do you not like it here?"

"Normally I'd take you up on that, but tonight for some reason," he looked me dead in the eye, "it doesn't bother me."

A small smile crept across my face and I wanted to kick myself. I never got shy and girly around a guy; it wasn't my style. I decided aggressive Ana needed to rear her ugly head.

"You'd better watch yourself – this place is open 24 hours and I've been known to go at it all night long."

He almost spit his beer across the table. I chuckled with pride. "God, I hope to heaven you're not talking about drinking beer," he said.

I winked and sauntered over to the breakfast bar to grab a few extra napkins, taking extra special care to put a little swagger in my step. When I got back with napkins and yet another beer he was staring at me with concern. "You've had enough beers already; you're going to pass out if you're not careful."

"What would you do to me if I passed out?"

He didn't laugh. "I'm serious. You shouldn't overdo it like that. It could be dangerous."

"Are you saying you're dangerous?" I teased, sliding into the booth beside him instead of taking my usual spot across from him.

He scooted away from me. "You're a drunken mess."

I got up on my knees and moved closer, dropping my ass in his lap. "Kiss me. I'm horny and it's your job to make me happy."

"No," he took my hands which had wandered to his face and neck and pinned them behind my back. His hands were strong and he seemed so comfortable holding me this way. "It's my job to escort you to your event. The event is over. Technically my job is over."

"Does that mean you're done being vanilla?" I really was ridiculously drunk. I was horny and I wanted him bad.

"It means I'm done having this conversation. Come on, I'll call the car."

I pouted as he moved us both out of the booth, dropped some cash on the table, and carried me out to the curb. From there the night went downhill. I couldn't remember all the details - my head was still too fuzzy - but I could recall arguing about me being too drunk for sex and me demanding he take me home and him refusing on the grounds that I might not make it to my own bed…

It was a fun night. I didn't get laid; I'd rarely had a fun night when I didn't get laid. It was a bit confusing, actually. Just as I started to muse over that fact, Christian showed up in the doorway again, this time in nothing but his sweat pants.

 _Agh, why does he have to be so hot?_

"I told you pancakes were ready in ten minutes. Get your ass out here before I have to make you come get them."

I smiled coyly, but before I could launch a sexy comeback, he had disappeared again. I scowled and threw on a robe, a pair of huge slippers I found in his closet, and a shower cap – just to make myself look as unappealing as possible.

My foul mood stuck with me all through breakfast even after Christian commented on my "very ladylike attire". He clearly wasn't going to give in to my advances and it pissed me off. I was starting to wonder if he was going to make me hold out for a relationship. The thought made me even angrier – there was no way that was going to happen. _Leave it to me to find the sexiest man in all Seattle only to learn that he's a sucker for commitment._

"I'm going to shower and get dressed and then I want to go home," I said with my nose in the air as his maid cleaned up our dishes. He simply nodded, a small grin playing underneath his controlled visage.

Lucky for me, he had an amazing bathroom. I turned on the massive shower lined with craggy stone that gave the ambience of a hot springs buried in a deep cave. I undressed and the water cascaded over me like magic. I had to wonder if he had some fancy water infused with bath salts or holiness or something. I had just started on the all-natural shampoo when I heard the door open. I froze, glancing around nervously. A figure walked in and turned the sink on. I heard the sound of brushing teeth.

"Christian?"

"Yeah?"

"Christian, what the fuck are you doing? I'm trying to take a shower in here!"

He spit in the sink, placed his toothbrush back in place and then walked towards me. I started to panic. Was he bluffing? Was he going to get in the shower with me? My pulse started racing. As much as I loved the idea of getting soapy with him, I wasn't prepared for this. I was completely thrown off guard.

He stopped just outside the shower door, cracked it open, and poked his head around. I instinctively reached around myself to cover my nakedness.

"Come on, do you really think this is my first time seeing a woman naked?" he teased. "Although…" his eyes crawled from my toes on up to my hair. "This is a particularly enjoyable view…"

I chucked the bar of soap at his face. "Get out of here! Give a girl a little privacy!"

He chuckled and made his way back to the door, shutting it softly behind him.

He took a shower when I was done. After a failed attempt to forget how creepy it was that he had managed to procure a new set of clothes and underwear for me in the exact right sizes, I decided to give myself a tour of the apartment.

I wandered upstairs first where I found another bathroom and a guest bedroom – both very decadent but that wasn't surprising. I took the stairs back down and followed the hallway to a library and billiard room. I stared at the pool table maniacally – if he ever convinced me to come back here, I'd have to take the opportunity to kick his ass at that game.

I continued down the hallway, happening upon a closet or two and another bathroom. I stopped short at another door that I could only assume was another guest room. But when I tried the doorknob, it was locked. My mind flashed back to the small set of keys I'd noticed by the alarm clock that morning. I smirked at the thought of exposing his secret man cave while he was in the shower – he would be pissed! It would be so much fun. I took delight in imagining the look on his face when he saw me stretched out on his leather couch, staring at his pictures of naked girls on the wall and playing his X-box.

I sprinted back to the bedroom and glanced at the bathroom door – the shower was still running. _Good._ I grabbed the keys and bolted back to the locked door, giggling the whole way. I inserted one key in, but it didn't work. I shoved the other one in and heard the lock click open. I slowly opened the door…

 _ **If you like my stories don't forget to check out my blog! www dot writersoftherain dot com**_


	9. Chapter 9

The darkness was palpable as the door swung open. Straight across from me on the opposite side of the dim room, a small window scattered sparse rays of morning sunshine onto the wall to my right, bathing the room in a soft dusty light, but piercing my eyes painfully. I raised my hand to block the brightness, revealing something akin to a coat rack sitting several yards from me up against the wall – except instead of coats, it held a series of what looked like horse whips.

I crinkled my eyes in confusion. _Christian is an equine enthusiast?_

"What are you doing!"

The deep guttural roar in Christian's voice immediately made me weak in the knees. His hand gripped me tightly and ripped me from the room. He shut the door behind me and tossed me against the opposing wall, approaching me menacingly. I stifled a laugh as I imagined him bossing a horse around in that tiny room. He didn't share my joviality.

"That door was locked. What the fuck were you doing nosing around in my private affairs?"

His eyes blazed and I realized he was dead serious. My face fell as he pushed his body up against mine and sneered. "You've been here one night. That does not give you license to go sneaking around."

I struggled against him, but he had me pinned tight. "Let me go!" I cried. "I don't care about your stupid horse room – what's your problem?"

"What did you see?" he seethed, his efforts to keep me in place frustratingly effective.

"What do you mean? There were some horse whips." I pinched his nipple hard causing him to falter and cry out. I stepped around him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

His face suddenly seemed relieved as he leaned his shoulder against the wall, his hand massaging his nipple and his breath heaving. He shook his head and walked across the hall to the door, locking it tight. "I should take you back in there and run you up by your ankles for that…" he mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

He didn't respond but turned to face me, the irritation in his face still pungent. I suddenly became suspicious. "Why are you so protective of that room, Christian?"

His eyes narrowed. "Ana, don't."

"What's in there? What have you done?" An image from the news a few nights earlier flashed through my mind and I imagined a poor woman chained up in there against her will, tortured and beaten as his sex toy. "Oh my God, you've got a kidnapped woman in there, don't you? Am I next? Are you just waiting for your chance to slip a drug in my drink?"

I knew I was exaggerating, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins had me dreaming up all sorts of crazy scenarios. What if he'd hurt someone? Had he enslaved them? Was he holding them for ransom?

"You watch too much TV," he scoffed patronizingly. He brushed passed me, heading back to the kitchen.

"Christian, tell me what's in that room this instant," I demanded.

He turned around and stomped towards me angrily. "What the fuck kind of person do you think I am?"

The shadows playing in his eyes told me it was time to cut this conversation off. I set aside my curiosities about the room and stormed past him. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed my jacket and purse. I wasn't going to stand for being spoken to like that. He would fess up or we could call this whole strange affair - or friendship or whatever it was - off.

When I turned around to stalk through the living room and make my brilliant exit, he was sitting on the couch solemnly, his head in his hands. The image completely disarmed me. I walked up behind him cautiously and my nerves finally began to find reality. He didn't appear angry anymore. He almost seemed dejected. Lost.

"Christian?"

"You should go."

"You want me to leave?" I walked to the side of the couch to get a closer sense of his state of mind.

He looked up at me earnestly. "No. How could you think that? I've been all over this city trying to run into you again since we met at your office."

I was taken aback yet again. This guy seemed to have a gift for throwing off my guard. I decided to let his stalker comment slide for the moment. It's not like I could ask for a cuter stalker anyways.

My shoulders sagged. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't really want to leave."

He patted the spot next to him. "Sit."

I obeyed and a small smile crept across his face. "You like being bossy, don't you?" I challenged.

"Don't you?"

I shrugged. "I like to protect my territory."

He leaned in. "So do I."

I closed my eyes and breathed in his hypnotic scent, hoping he'd lean in just a bit further…but he pulled away, his fingers massaging the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry I freaked out back there," I murmured. "There's just…it's been a crazy weekend and I let my imagination get away from me."

He smirked. "I can't say I didn't like where you were headed…" I whipped my head around and stared at him incredulously. He spoke apologetically. "I just mean that I can appreciate a girl with a creative mind." I relaxed. "But it appears you're not entirely convinced of my good intentions."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not that. I've just never met anyone like you before."

His eyes seemed to wander elsewhere, unfocused and weary. "It would probably be better if you hadn't." He seemed lost in thought for a moment and I waited for him to clarify. A few moments later, he seemed to come to a decision and reached for my face, pulling me close and planting a soft kiss on my lips. His fingers lingered on my cheek, caressing the smooth skin of my jaw. He pulled away and looked me in the eye.

"You're right. I'm not like anyone else you've met." He sighed. "You weren't wrong to assume I'm fucked up – I'm not the person I seem."

I glared sardonically. "You mean you're not an indelibly stubborn douchenozzle with a penchant for lavatory sex?"

He laughed. "Never mind. Apparently I'm exactly the person I seem."

I liked seeing that smile on his face. It was so calm and innocent – a side of him I sensed he didn't let out too often.

"Look," I pulled his hand in mine. "It's been a crazy weekend for both of us. I told you I don't date, and I'm going to stick to that, but let's just take it easy this morning. There's always live music at the café down the street Sunday mornings. Let's go sit back and enjoy some good music with a little gourmet coffee."

His eyes lit up. "How did you know that I love that place?"

I stood and pulled my jacket on, a glare deepening on my face. "And then you can explain to me your little comment earlier about how you've been stalking me since the day we met."

"I knew you weren't going to let that go," he gruffed.

We took the elevator down to the parking garage and wound through his many cars to an Audi. "I love Audis!" I cried, "I have three of them. They're all fantastic, but the A3 is my favorite."

He opened the door for me and grinned. "Isn't that fortunate?"

We pulled out from the garage and, much to my astonishment, Kate came running up to my door before we could pull into the street. Her face dripped with urgency and she pounded on my window. I rolled it down.

"Hey, Kate, what's shakin'?"

She glared at my casualty. "Not now, Ana. You have to come with me." She tossed a glare in Christian's direction.

I looked back and forth between them both. "Uh, what's going on, Kate?"

"You can't go with him. If you haven't found out already, you'll find out soon."

"Kate, it's okay, I already vetted him – he's not a murderer." I had meant it to be a joke but it only seemed to fuel Kate's rage.

"I talked to Elliott, Ana." She pulled the door open and tried to drag me out. "He found something out about Christian. Trust me, you need to come with me."

Kate clearly had forgotten my stubborn nature. I glanced at Christian who was glowering, his teeth grinding. "Get out of here, Kate," he warned.

"No way, fucker. I'm not going to let you do this to her."

"Okay, you know what you two?" I finally freed myself from Kate's grasp, crouched back in the passenger's seat, and shut the door. "That's enough. I don't know what's going on between you, but Kate: I'm going to get coffee with Christian. It's just coffee. Trust me, I'm fine. Nothing horrible is going to happen."

"Goddamnit, Ana, will you listen to me just once? He wants to beat you, for God's sake!"

I laughed raucously. "Beat me at what – air hockey? Jesus, wasn't I listening to you when I went out with Christian in the first place?" Kate huffed. She had no argument.

"Ana, please…"

"You know what, Kate, that's enough." I shook my head. "You're worse than me." I started rolling up the window. "I'll catch you later. Business meeting tomorrow at 7am, don't be late." The window closed in her irate face. I stared forward, ignoring the yelling and threats that slowly died down as we traveled further and further away.

I looked over at Christian, his eyes steely and determined, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. "Don't let her get to you, Christian. She does this all the time; she thinks she's my mom," I scoffed.

He didn't answer at first, but kept his eyes on the road. The tires screeched as we pulled into the coffee shop and he finally turned to face me.

"When we get back from coffee, we have some talking to do."

The alarm in his face made my heart race. Clearly, Kate had struck a nerve.

 _What have I gotten myself into?_

 _ **So I haven't been able to PM all of you, but I've got a new story in the works called "Players" – it's about a guy and a girl who move in together to become each other's wingman/woman. But after a few months of helping each other land hot one-night stands they start to see each other in a new way… I'm emailing this story out weekly, one chapter at a time, to a list of interested readers. If you'd like to be added to the list, PM me your email address or email me at: pjhaynie at yahoo dot com**_

 _ **Thanks!**_


	10. Chapter 9 and 10

_**In honor of my home team, I have to start this chapter with an emphatic: GO BRONCOS! Okay, on to the story…**_

I stood by the door of the coffee shop, arms crossed stubbornly over my chest while Christian stared at me incredulously. "Get inside, Ana. Let's go have a good time." His tone gave no indication that he had any intention of enjoying himself after the encounter with Kate.

I tapped my foot on the pavement. "No. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell is going on."

His face deepened to a flaming red. "This is not the time," he choked through grinding teeth.

"It's now or never, Christian. And trust me, you will _not_ be stalking me anymore if you don't explain yourself – my security team will see to that."

He huffed and puffed – clearly not used to being backed into a corner. I might have enjoyed the spectacle if my insides weren't raging with fear.

He slammed the door shut, sending with it the waft of calming music and idle chatter that settled so soothingly on the inside of the shop. He paced to the curb and back. "You don't know what you're asking me to do. Even if I wanted to talk about it now, this is not the place."

I snorted. "Are you done talking in riddles yet? Spill it."

"I can't tell you anything unless I can show you – " he cut himself off in frustration. The familiar sound of Royal Blood's "Figure It Out" came blasting over my cell phone. If the timing wasn't bad enough, the song seemed to tease me with its flatlining sense of irony.

"What?" I snapped, wishing work could leave me alone on the weekend for once.

It was Yvette, the head of my security. "We've had a breach at the office, Ms. Steele. Someone got past front desk security and managed to hack through the office door codes."

I groaned. "Fine, take care of it and I'll deal with it tomorrow. Did they get into anything? Is our internal network compromised?"

"That's the problem, Ms. Steele, the intruder doesn't appear to have taken anything. It's possible we intervened before they had a chance, but we can't be sure until we've combed the entire office and all the internal communications systems. We need you and Kate to come right away and let us know if anything seems out of sorts in your offices."

"You've been in my office a million times, can't you tell if anything is missing?" It wasn't often that we had a break-in, but it wasn't unheard of either. I wasn't in the mood to give up the rest of my Sunday over a teenage penny cash-robber.

"Standard protocol, Ms. Steele."

I sighed. "Fine, I'll be right there." Christian regarded me with concern. "I have to go to my office to look into a security breach. Can you drive me there?"

His lips tightened. "We still need to talk."

"Yeah, well, there's not whole lot I can do about that, is there?" My patience was paper-thin. The whole fucking weekend was turning into a huge mess.

Christian look thoughtful. "Okay, I'll drive you there, but will you promise me something?"

"What?" I was already standing by the passenger door waiting for him to let me in.

"Don't talk to Kate until I get a chance to explain."

"Christian, I don't have time for this. I have to work with Kate on this security breach – I can't control what she does or doesn't say to me."

"Ana," I looked across the hood to his pleading eyes. "Just try to avoid the subject, okay?"

I huffed. "Whatever, fine. Can we go now?"

He finally unlocked the door and we sped further downtown to the office building.

When I arrived, Yvette had the entire team hard at work. A few officers were on the main floor, questioning the building security team. I bypassed them and headed straight for the elevator, anxious to get this whole debacle overwith.

When I hit our floor, I walked into a minefield of personal, running this way and that, computer equipment scattered across the lobby and lots of anxious chatting about firewalls, hacking, and other terms I was unfamiliar with. Yvette caught me in the hallway on the way to my office.

"Has Kate arrived?" I asked.

"Yes, she's in her office going through her things right now," she explained.

I nodded and opened the door to my office. It looked like mine had become host to a small gathering. "What do you need me here for if they're already searching my stuff?"

"They can't get into your locked drawers or personal items – they're just checking the security of your computer backup and phone system."

"Okay, so what do I need to look for, exactly?"

"From what we've been able to find, we think the intruder was hoping to hack into our network from home base – meaning they haven't been able to access it remotely. From what we can tell, they didn't have any interest in any physical items within the office – not locked drawers were opened and no safes were accessed. So we think they were looking purely for intelligence. To verify that, please check all your secured spaces and we'll have you walk through your computer files as well."

I slumped into my office chair and pulled out my keys. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Two hours later, I had been through everything. Not an inch of my office hadn't been scoured by me personally and I was ready to go home.

"You're sure nothing seems out of place?" Yvette asked.

"I'm sure," I clarified.

"It looks like the intruder left your data files more or less alone, but your list of personal contacts embedded in your email program was accessed. Can you think of any reason why someone would have interest in that information?"

I shook my head. "Not in the slightest."

"You need to think hard on this one, Ms. Steele. This typically only happens when a hacker is seeking to find a connection between you and someone with a questionable reputation. Is there anyone listed in your contacts that could hurt your reputation?"

I thought over that one. I always synced my phone with my computer to keep everything up-to-date so just about anyone I'd ever called would be in there. Kate's urgency to speak with me about Christian, and his sudden desire to explain hit the forefront of my mind. _What has he been involved in?_ As far as I could tell, he came off from his own business dealings squeaky clean, but maybe there was more to the story.

"You've run background checks on my personal contacts before, right?" Yvonne nodded. Do it again, please; I've added a few since the last audit. Please start with Christian Grey this time."

She nodded her head. "Good idea, Ms. Steele. We'll find something in there and trace it back to the person who did this."

I nodded my head. In the meantime, I was determined to get my own answers.

Before Kate could accost me, I stole out of the office and down the escalator to the lobby. I immediately called my car and asked to go straight to Christian's apartment. If he had some illegal activity in his past that could hurt my reputation, he was going to explain it to me to my face. I began to regret my recklessness in pretending he was my beau at the charity event the night before.

I stormed past his hired help to find him waiting for me in the living room. I could hardly look at him – I wasn't sure I wanted to know what sort of criminal activity he'd gotten me mixed up in.

I looked straight into those steely grey eyes. "You said you have an explanation for me: let's hear it. Because I've got security all over my office right now over some hacker who apparently has taken an interest in my personal contacts. What have you done that they might be interested in connecting me to?"

Christian's forehead creased. "I do have an explanation for you, but…" He scratched his chin. "…It doesn't involve any illegal activity. No one else knows about it but me. Well, until yesterday when Elliott got drunk and way too curious…"

"Christian, will you quit stalling and man up already? What the hell are you hiding from me?"

He looked me up and down and that worried look came across his face again. "Okay, but…just keep an open mind, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, but he grabbed my hand and led me down the hallway to the room I'd almost entered earlier that day. He pulled out the key and opened the door.

"If you run out of here screaming, I'll understand. If you never want to talk to me again, I'll understand. But this is who I am. So you may as well know now before we…"

I raised an eyebrow. "Before we what?"

"I don't know. I don't really know what 'this' is," he gestured between the two of us. "But I'll happy if you don't hate me after you leave."

I'd had enough with the riddles and theatrics. I stalked into the room, ready to face whatever weird skeletons or demons he had hiding in the closet. I had no reason to even stay in contact with him anyways – walking away would be easy as pie.

I entered the immaculately clean room and saw the horse whips I'd noticed before. _Okay, no big deal. What is this guy so nervous about?_

Then the rest of the room came into view and my breath caught in my throat.

 _ **Cliffhanger! Sorry guys, but the Super Bowl is today and I've got to get ready.**_ __ _ **I won't leave you hanging for long.**_

 _ **FYI, for Valentine's Day I'm writing custom steamy romance scenes and short stories, featuring YOU and your loved one or crush (or maybe you and Christian Grey?). They make great gifts for yourself, your loved one, or your friends! For more information on how to order, email me at pjhaynie at yahoo dot com or go to Fiverr dot com and look up gigs by FreakinJane.**_

 _ **GO BLUE AND ORANGE!**_


	11. Chapter 11

I clasped my face with my hands. "Christian, what is this place? Are you some kind of freak? What kind of fucked up shit do you _do_ in here?"

I played it up so well that he was in front of me in a flash, his eyes pleading. "Ana, just keep an open mind, okay? It's not as bad as you think, it's just – " He stopped short as he realized I was grinning. "Wait, what's going on? Why are you smiling?"

"Oh for God's sake, Christian, do you think I've never seen a sex room before?" I smacked him lightheartedly on the shoulder and giggled over his shocked expression. "I'm just yanking your chain. Come on, this isn't that bad. Do girls really freak out like that when you bring them in here?"

He shook his head, bewildered. "I've never brought anyone in here who didn't already have some involvement in this at some level or another."

I wandered through the dimly-lit, but very open and inviting room. "I don't know what kind of girl you take me for, but I've seen much worse than this. Hell, I dated a guy once who had a nursery."

Christian raised an eyebrow as I turned back to him. "A nursery?"

I nodded. "A nursery. An adult nursery, to be specific. Complete with a crib, adult-sized diapers, pacifiers, and a rocking chair for me to hold him in."

His eyes widened and a smile played on his lips. "You're kidding me…"

"No. Not in the least. I wish I were…"

"Wait, I thought you said you didn't date."

"He's one of the reasons I don't date anymore."

He nodded, amused. "So you're really okay with this?"

I shrugged and glanced around the room. Aside from the horsewhips, there was a shelf of flogs, a small dresser with unknown contents – probably lingerie and blindfolds or something – and a rather large bed in the middle of the room. The room as a whole was actually rather empty. The size of the bed was really the only thing that threw me off. "What's with the humongous bed?"

Christian's face became serious again. "Look…while I enjoy some light caning and flogging, there's a little more to it for me. Though I'm relieved to find you aren't too concerned with the BDSM, it's really only a small part of what this room is for."

He walked up to me and I became starkly aware that the lights were unusually low and we were very much alone. I found it difficult to ignore his sexy swagger in such a seductive environment. "Oh?" I tried to hide the nervousness in my voice. "Well, you know I'm no innocent girl. What's the rest of the story?"

"There are a variety of things I enjoy," he began, "and BDSM has been one of them. But lately I've become particularly attached to a new practice."

He reached up to touch my cheek and I found myself strangely responsive. I could feel the tension building quickly and I incoherently dropped my purse. I stepped back and tried some humor to dispel the unexpected attraction pulling me in. "It doesn't involve pacifiers and rattles, does it?"

He laughed. "No, definitely not. But perhaps you noticed…" he paused. "Does the room seem unusually empty to you?"

I managed to nod despite the fact that all my energy was concentrated on shooing away my libido.

"There's a reason for that."

He left my presence and my body relaxed for the first time in several minutes. I watched him obsessively against my own will, eyeing the subtle movements of his muscular body as he walked over to the dresser, picked up a remote control and flicked a button. The room filled with a slightly eerie high-pitched noise which faded quickly and was then replaced with the thump of a deep but quiet drum, repeating every few seconds. The sound reverberated within me to the core, filling me with calm and excitement all at the same time. Christian came back towards me and the tension built up yet again, one step at a time.

"Do you know this song?" he asked, stopping a few feet away. I shook my head. "It's called 'Secret'." It didn't ring a bell. "Maroon 5 – not a very well-known song of theirs."

I shut my eyes to let the sound of the drum ignite my nerves. It was so hypnotic. It felt as if it were playing directly on my heart – so soft yet so deep. A few notes from a quiet guitar began to play and I realized Christian had moved closer so he was just inches from me. I could hear nothing but the soothing music and the sound of our breathing.

"Do you feel that?" he asked.

"I think so," I whispered without thinking.

"The energy between you and me – the tension." His voice became low and soft. "It's still fairly subtle, but it's building. This song is particularly good at bringing the base of this to the forefront."

"Bringing the base of what to the forefront?" The fragility of my voice took me by surprise.

He leaned in subtly. "My intense physical attraction to you and yours to me."

Warning signals shot through my body but they felt like the searing pangs of excitement and anticipation rather than concern.

A voice began to sing a slow and hypnotic melody, building the song to a slightly higher level of intensity. Christian moved around behind me. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want to; the door is unlocked. But if you're feeling what I'm feeling, then stay put and keep your eyes closed."

I cursed myself for obeying but I knew nothing could rip my feet from that spot. I was unwilling to let anything ruin to the orchestra of sensations I felt with him so near.

"You may have noticed that the more you hear my voice…" he stepped in closer behind me so I could feel the warmth radiating from his body. "…and the more you sense my presence…" He poised his lips just beside my ear so I could feel his increasingly erratic breath, "…and the more you allow your imagination to run wild with ideas of what I might do to you…" His face lowered and he moved my hair to my right shoulder, exposing my neck. His breath graced my aching skin with a teasing tickle. "…that the more desperately our bodies reach for each other across this tiny but frustrating chasm that extends between us."

I could feel him raise his hands as if to touch me and I awaited them with gross anticipation. But his touch did not come. Instead, they dropped back to his side and his face hovered over my ear again, his nose moving in and around my hair, and his lips exploring the space just outside the reach of my skin. He then moved to the other side of me, repeating the same enticing act, but this time inhaling deeply as his face came in contact with my hair.

The more his body lingered so close mine in the waft of the intense and beautiful music, the more I lost any interest in wondering why I was suddenly so fiercely taken by this man I had considered a potential liability just moments before. My entire body clenched deliciously and I fought the temptation to turn around and dig my tongue deep into his mouth.

His hands rose again hovered just off the surface of my shoulders, following a path of physical denial down the curves of my arms. Every hair from my neck to my fingers stood on end as if fighting desperately to connect with him. It felt as if my body was being forbidden it's every desire. As the song hit its crescendo into the chorus, Christian stepped around to face me. Not an inch of our skin met, but his lips moved in and hovered torturously over mine, our faces searching the air between us as if seeking the most perfect moment to explore what we both so desperately desired.

 _I know I don't know you_

 _But I want you so bad_

 _Everyone has a secret_

 _Oh, can they keep it_

 _Oh no, they can't_

The song elevated me in its truth; no matter how hard I had fought it since the day we met, I wanted this man badly. I wanted to feel every inch of him, explore him, experience the ecstasy of having him inside me. My breath hitched and I knew I wouldn't stand for him to tease me for much longer. I opened my eyes to meet his and his breath suddenly became even more erratic. His entire body tensed, his shoulders shifting as he stepped in as close as possible without touching me.

"Ana," he whispered. I didn't answer, but bit my lip to keep myself under control. His eyes widened with hunger. "Ana, since this song began, have I touched you?"

"No." My voice was barely audible. His pelvis bumped against me momentarily and the feel of his bulge sent me to new heights.

He shut his eyes and swallowed as if struggling with his own sense of self-control. "Then tell me…" He paused to take another deep breath and his tone became low and commanding. "…how satisfactory would it feel to fuck me right now?"

I stopped breathing. And then I moaned – I couldn't do anything else. My hormones were exploding with need and I was barely holding onto my last shred of stubbornness against his evil teasing.

I closed my eyes again to pull myself together but when I opened them he was gone. I glanced around in a state of hysterical confusion, my feet still cemented to the floor from my anticipation of what I'd hoped would be a steamy and erotic encounter.

Just as panic began to set in from my blood vessels screaming for closure, Christian reappeared at the door, this time wearing no shirt and a pair of jeans so explicitly sexy I thought I might implode. I waited anxiously, fearing he might continue to torment me until I was forced to come of my own volition.

He strode briskly toward me, his eyes brimming with desire and determination – but this time he didn't stop.

 _I'm driving fast now_

 _Don't think I know how to go slow_

 _Oh, where you at now?_

 _I feel around_

 _There you are_

When he reached me, the power in his step pushed me backward a few paces as his hands gripped the sides of my face and his lips passionately met mine. I responded ferociously, biting and licking his lips as my hands dived into his hair. My response was so forceful that he pulled back momentarily. "Slow down, Ana," he soothed as his fingers stroked my cheeks, "Savor every moment, every touch, every sensation…"

He slowly pulled my mouth to his again, but this time the kiss was more tender, his lips twisting and turning slowly between mine and his tongue gently seeking out the unknown. I mirrored his approach and mustered up the self-control to allow the sexual tension to express itself intensely but methodically; building as the sensuality of our bodies ebbed and flowed.

My fingers slowly made their way down from his hair to his neck, then to his chest which I explored with reckless abandon. My fingers seemed to burn as I ran my hands over his taut skin, down his sides to the edges of his hot-and-heavy jeans, then back up over his abs and pecks where they chose to linger. The heat from his kisses extended across my cheek, dropping down my neck to my shoulder as he rhythmically released the buttons of my shirt. He ran his fingers all the way down my arms while he pushed it off, nipping at my neck and linking his fingers in mine until my shirt dropped lightly to the floor. He wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and began walking me backwards as my teeth busied themselves nibbling at his ear.

The deep and seductive tune he'd chosen for us was over, but another song with greater intensity began to climax over the surround sound. He sat me down softly on the bed and stepped back. I watched as he pulled his jeans off, staring me down with a dark look that revealed the depth of his appetite. His stark naked body had me transfixed and I imagined the delight of wrapping my lips around his stately cock and sucking hard.

My machinations were cut short when he pushed me backward on the bed so he was kneeling on his heels in front of me. With a swift movement, he had me straddling his lap. I moaned at the feel of him grazing the insides of my thighs a felt immediately regretful that I still had my pants on. He let his lips hover centimeters from mine again and whispered, "I want you to take your bra off. Slowly. Carefully. I won't allow you to be any further from me than you are right now."

Even further lost in his spell, I lazily reached behind my back to unsnap my bra. He continued to hover at the edges of my face, neck, and chin, occasionally brushing my skin with his so I could feel his stubble tickling my cheek. As I gradually pulled off my bra, he pulled me in closer, lowering his head to my breasts where he continued his evil game, granting nothing more than a lick here and a kiss there, though he was in a position to do so much more.

"Please, just suck them," I groaned as his chin grazed my burning nipples yet again.

He returned his lips to his favorite spot by my ear. "I've got everything under control, baby. Just relax and enjoy the ride."

He flipped me back on the bed and pulled my pants and underwear off. He leaned over me momentarily, eyeing my body from head to toe before tickling the skin at my ankle and moving deliberately up every inch of the inside of my leg until I wanted to scream. At last he reached the apex of my thighs. He adjusted himself so he was lying beside me and, in one wonderful movement, his lips tore at my breasts and his fingers dove inside me.

I shoved my hips in the air and gripped tightly the muscles of his arms.

"You make me so crazy," he mumbled. I glanced over to find him watching me with eyes wide in wonder. I realized he had swollen to a deep red so I pulled him over me.

"Fuck me. Now." I commanded.

He placed his legs between mine, parting my thighs carefully, and pulled on a condom. With one hand in my hair, he trailed kisses down my face and neck, belaboring the anticipation.

"Tell me you want me," he ordered, quietly.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"Tell me you want me. I have to hear it."

I didn't want to say it. Some part of my brain still wanted to hold out on admitting how badly he had me whipped. But my body wouldn't wait another moment.

"Ana," he said, more forcefully, "Say it."

I grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. "I want you inside me, Christian."

He heaved into me, filling me roughly and deliciously. His lips held tightly to mine as a small drop of sweat hopped off his nose and landed lightly on my cheek. My muscles tensed and gripped him as I clenched my knees around him, each thrust pushing me further and further upwards. When my body could hold off no more, I soared into a long-anticipated orgasm. He came quickly after, the veins in his arms and throat popping out and sending me further into ecstasy.

Time seemed to stop; nothing seemed to matter for those few moments. It was just me and this strange man, Christian, travelling to unimaginable heights together. I couldn't imagine ever wanting him to be any further from me than he was in that moment. The depth of my lust was beyond my comprehension.

At last, he collapsed at my side, his body heaving and glistening with sweat. I didn't like him being so far away so I found the strength to wrap myself around him, unwilling to let any space come between us, even for a moment.

"My God, that was…" I mumbled as I kissed his chest. I couldn't finish it. Words couldn't describe it.

"It's called No Touch Sex," he explained, panting. "It's a depravation technique for increasing the intensity of sex."

I released a breathy giggle. "Sounds about right."

He looked over at me, pulling me close. "They also call it 'Instant Love'. It stockpiles endorphins so your dopamine is released all at once. It's supposed to make you feel like you're so happy, you can't live without the other person."

He looked at me expectantly. Was that his goal? To make me fall in love with him? I wasn't sure, and the prospect was beyond mind-boggling. I decided to dismiss the idea and, instead, smiled and stroked his cheek. "You got me to admit I wanted to fuck you. That's all you're getting today."

He chuckled and kissed my hair. "That's okay; I've got everything I could ever want right now."


	12. Chapter 12

Christian's exhausting brand of sexual deviance had me too tired to move from the bed. I woke up the next morning, tangled up in the silk sheets, his arms wrapped tightly around me, and the annoying bleep of my phone alarm assaulting my senses.

A wave of anxiety washed over me as I realized how much work I had to do that day – not only were there the usual challenges with our recent failed product, but we had a criminal to catch. It was relieving to know Christian wasn't likely to be on the list of suspects, but that blew the whole investigation wide open; it could be anyone. Part of me feared it was an inside job, while another part of me feared it wasn't; and that catching the culprit would end up being a very public affair.

Christian was reluctant to let me go as I pulled myself from the bed. For a guy who appeared to have had no previous romantic courtships of any length, he was sure affectionate.

I left the room and wandered to his bedroom where I showered, putting the same clothes from the day before on. Part of me wished I'd given Christian a little more warning regarding my visit so he could have selected a new outfit for me like last time.

I grinned to myself: _how silly. Like a scene from Cinderella._ I could take care of myself – I always had an extra suit at the office just in case I slept over with one of my escorts. The trick would be getting to my office with Kate noticing I hadn't changed clothes…

I grabbed myself a simple slice of toast from the kitchen, which his maid was kind enough to butter for me. She had coffee ready in a to go cup as well – I was sure to give her a warm smile for her hospitality.

By the time I was ready to go, Christian had emerged from the bedroom, looking rugged and sexy in nothing but his sweatpants and a five o'clock shadow. I found myself wishing I didn't have to rush out so quickly.

I smiled at him as I headed for the door, but he grabbed my hand before I could open it. "Where do you think you're going so fast?"

"Unlike some unemployed men I know, I have a business to run."

His face fell. "Touche."

"Sorry; I keep forgetting that's a sore point."

He wrapped his arms around me, our faces nose-to-nose, and walked me backwards, out the door, and to the entrance of the elevator. His eyes never left mine, not even when he reached out hit the elevator button. "When are you coming back?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. My schedule is going to be insane this week trying to catch this hacker."

He sighed, his eyes blackening. "I don't like that there's someone fucking with you like this. I want you to tell me when you find out who it is."

My forehead creased. "Christian, I'm fine. I can handle it. I've got a top-notch security team – they'll have the threat handled by the end of the week, trust me."

He sighed and buried his face in my neck. Tingles spread across my body as his breath tickled my skin. "I have to go, Christian."

He brushed my ears with his lips. "I don't want you to forget about last night. I want you to come back."

The sudden softness in his voice made my groin burn. "I'll be back, I promise."

He pulled away. "Yes. You will."

He pulled me to him, brushing my lips lightly with his at first, then slowly increasing the entanglement of our mouths, keeping his touch soft, but needy. He teased my mouth as if asking me to let him in. I tried to resist; I tried to remember the urgency of my work, but just as I was about to remind him, he pulled away ever so slightly, causing me to chase him with desire. My lips reached for his against my will and he pulled me tighter against him. A groan escaped his throat – it was my undoing. I opened my mouth to him, begging him to enter and he took full advantage, exploring me wide and deep. He pulled back again, threatening to remove his passion and accentuating the ache – I plummeted into his mouth with even more fervor. One hand held me tight on my lower back while the other traveled up to my neck, then my chin, stroking my cheek and wandering into my hair. Our tongues played a silent symphony and it felt as if nothing mattered in that moment except our kiss.

His fingers lilted down my front, tickling my breast with a momentary tease and rested at my hip. The kiss softened yet again, and he pulled away. He chest was heaving erratically and I could see the depth of his desire as he gazed at me drunkenly. "I thought you had somewhere to be," he breathed.

I tried to pull my head from its dreamy state. "I don't remember where."

"I know where I want to be." He brushed my forehead with his lips. "Here." He trailed down to my ear, nibbling softly. "Here." His kisses made a seductive path down my neck to my shoulder. "Here." He lightly pushed aside the edge of my jacket, pulling my shirt with it and kissed my shoulder, his tongue taking a taste before he spoke again. "And here."

I ran my hands up his arms, across his chest and up to his neck where I pulled his face back towards mine. We teased each other with our mouths for a moment, each moving in as if to drink heartily from each other yet again, but then hesitating. The elevator door opened and I lightly bit his chin. "I really do have to go."

His eyes drilled into mine, as if willing me to remember this moment – I knew I wouldn't forgot. Not for a very, very long time. His kiss was almost more seductive than our amazing love-making the night before. As I ripped myself from his grasp and stepped into the cold, unforgiving elevator, my body was already begging for me to guarantee the next opportunity for such passion.

I glanced at Christian as the doors closed. His hair was a tangled mess from my groping fingers, his eyes locked on mine in a heady stupor, and his bulge was clear and present for me to admire. I blew him a kiss, but he didn't move. His eyes haunted me all the way down to my car, and during the entire drive to the office. When I pulled in and my imagination was still crawling over every detail of that amazing kiss, I wondered how I was going to concentrate throughout the rest of the day. None of my escorts had left me this helpless. It was disconcerting, but oh so delicious.

As I entered my building and began the ascent up to our floor, reality began to creep back in. I was relieved to find Kate nowhere to be seen when I entered our office. I bolted for my office door and shut it behind me, wondering where on earth I should get started for the day.

The decision was quickly made for me as a loud knock came at the door.

"What?" I yelled.

"Let me in, Ana. I want to know exactly what he did to you. You're telling me everything, and I hear anything I don't like, you're going to get one hell of a shit-fest from me."

I rolled my eyes, opened the door, and allowed Kate's fuming personage to enter my sanctuary.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well, hello Kate! How delightful to see you! How are you this fine morning?" I shut the door behind her and faced her with the best grin I could muster. She wasn't amused.

"You better start talking, Ana."

I placed my finger over my mouth. "Okay. Good God, Kate, have you ever been flogged so bad that you came and cried all at the same time? I always thought I was sexy, but with these bruises, OH. MY. GOD."

Kate fumed while I giggled to myself. "I'm going to assume your sarcasm means that he didn't do anything to you."

I threw my arms in the air. "Kate, I don't get you. You're as liberal as the rest of us when it comes to sex – you know how fetishes work. Everyone has something weird they're into. Why on earth would a little BDSM freak you out? I mean, God, you remember Blaine, right? A little whipping is way the hell better than that babying shit."

Kate crossed her arms over her chest. "A little whipping is one thing, but having an entire room dedicated to it? That's the kind of shit you see in movies about serial killers and rapists."

I smiled to myself as I recalled thinking the exact same thing when Christian first showed me 'the room'. Perhaps Kate and I were more alike than I thought.

I stepped towards her and pulled her in for a hug. "Kate, nobody beat me or hurt me or anything. And if they ever do, it will be because I want them to." I pulled her back so I could look her straight in the eye. "However, I did have the most amazing sex of my entire fucking life."

Kate's eyes widened and a smile played on her lips. "Really?" she squealed. "Are you thinking of dating him?"

I stepped away, rolling my eyes. "God no, Kate. But he'd make a great addition to my escort rotation, don't you think?"

Kate's face fell. "You've got to be kidding me. You had the most amazing sex of your entire life and you still have no desire to even try a relationship?

I shook my head. "We've had this discussion a million times; I'm not having it again. And anyways, he is not the relationship type either; trust me. Even you said he was a loner."

"So make him _not_ a loner anymore. Give him an ultimatum. It works. I've done it a million times before!"

I walked to my desk and spread my hands across it, lowering my head. "Not everybody approaches relationships like a hostage negotiation, Kate. It's not my style."

"Ana, come on. Life is a hostage negotiation. You have to take what you want and lock it down. How do you think you got the business this far?"

I turned around and stared at the door. "I got this far by not letting anyone walk through that door and strong arm me into a relationship – business or otherwise. I got this far by saying no; a lot."

Kate sighed and walked to the door. She paused with her hand on the handle. "Then this business is all you will ever have."

The words cut deep as she exited my office. I felt a strange sense of panic rising in the depths of my belly; a panic I hadn't felt in years. I walked around my desk and plopped in the desk chair, attempting to calm myself.

 _I have more than just my business, don't I? I have Kate. I have my clients. I have my mom – and she survived life just fine with nothing but her cupcake shop business. She didn't need my idiot father once he ran off to Switzerland. And she didn't need many friends. She was determined; focused._

 _Just like me._

The panic finally started to dissipate and I found myself comforted by my loneliness. This was what I knew. It had meaning and purpose. Relationships never did. And they never would.

I picked up my phone and dialed one of the escort services. I didn't know which one – I only knew it wasn't Cultivated Connections. What I did know was that I needed another good fuck. A good fuck with someone I knew wouldn't want more. I needed Toby. When I was done with him, I could reconsider whether or not to suggest a fuck buddy relationship with Christian. Until then, I wasn't going to give it another thought.

The next day, security was still swarming our wing of the building, but I managed to get special permission for Toby to come up. The breach investigation was moving along quickly, but no solid leads had revealed themselves yet.

My conference call was running late when Toby walked in so I waved him over and moved around to the front of the desk to organize some things in case he decided to get rough. I cradled the phone on my ear while shuffled papers around. Strong hands wrapped around my waist from behind and pulled me backwards.

"Just a minute, Toby, let me get things straightened up."

He didn't respond, but allowed me to finish while his lips met the back of my neck and trailed down to my shoulder. It's a good thing my phone was on mute because when he unzipped the back of my dress and then ran his finger down my spine, I gasped audibly; I had forgotten how good he was.

I waited eagerly for the Head of IT to wrap up the call, but she kept droning on and on. Meanwhile, I was getting turned on and on…

With the back of my dress wide open, but still on, Toby pulled my hair behind my head and ran it through his fingers before setting it off to the side. His fingers crawled underneath my dress and snuck around to my belly, tickling me affectionately.

"Oh God…" I murmured.

"That's my girl," he breathed.

My eyes shot open and the phone fell from my fist. That was _not_ Toby's voice. Terrified, I whirled around and came face-to-face with none other but the infamous Christian Grey.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I seethed.

He pinned my hands on the desk behind me. "Waiting for someone else, were you?" There was no hint of humor in his face; he was pissed.

"It's none of your goddamn business."

I tried to free my hands, but he held fast. "I'm hurt Ana. How could you forget our kiss so quickly?"

"Get out of my way; I'm not having this conversation when I can't fucking move!" He released me and stepped back, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm supposed to be on a conference call, you know."

"I think both you and I know you had very little interest in that call." Now a grin played on his lips. God, he could change moods with the wind.

"Fuck the call – why are you here?"

"I told you: I'm disappointed you forgot about our kiss so soon."

I scoffed. "How did you even know I was having an escort come today? Did you tap my phone?"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Ana, I ran a multi-million dollar company. I know how to keep tabs on people. I'm sure you do the same thing."

"No, I don't. Because I'm not an asshole control freak."

He shrugged. "Fair enough."

"Now get out of my office. I've got to apologize to Toby's agency and reschedule."

He rushed me again. He stood as close as he could without touching me, reached for my wrists, but thought better of it and angrily shoved his hands in his pockets instead. "I don't think you understand, Ana. I told you: I don't mess around with sex. I'm very picky about who I sleep with, and the women I sleep with do _not_ see other men."

"Oh, so you want a relationship?" I raised my eyebrows patronizingly. "I believe I already explained my 'situation' there." I skirted around him and headed to the door, ready to dismiss him.

"Well then I guess you have a choice to make. You can't have your cake and eat it too, Ana."

"Wanna bet?" I opened the door.

He strode towards me as if to leave, but at the last second, he pushed the door closed and gently pushed me up against it. His lips didn't hesitate and he assaulted me with that slow, deep kiss we had shared the day before. I could feel those familiar chills running up and down my body and I was reminded how badly I needed a good fuck.

He was doing this on purpose; he was trying to kiss me into submissions. Well, I wasn't having it; it was time for retaliation.

I shoved him backwards, but I was still drunken from his soothing embrace. "Get out of my office." I tried to sound menacing, but it came out more like a cat's purr. Even as I said it, my mouth begged for his and I found myself locked in his arms again.

 _No, Ana! Fight it! You have to fight!_

I pulled away again, which prompted a chuckle from his arrogant lips. "What's so funny?"

"You. You're trying so hard to fight this."

"I don't like being beholden to a man's demands."

"So you're going to remain a prisoner to your own?"

I snorted. "At least I know what I need." I walked towards the window.

He followed and stopped behind me, his fingers cascading ever so gently down my arm. He pressed his lips against my ear and I shuddered with pleasure. "I don't think you do."

 _ **Sorry, guys, I love cliffhangers. Don't forget to visit my website! www dot writersoftherain dot com !**_


	14. Chapter 14

I breathed out my nose, trying to keep my wits about me as his fingers trailed down my bare back again, stopping at the top of my underwear. Before he could get any further, I whirled around. It was time to be straight with him.

"You're wrong; I do know what I need." I took a deep breath, trying desperately not to get lost in his gorgeous face. "And I know what I want. But unfortunately, the two things don't coincide."

He lifted me up so I was sitting on the heating vent and nubbed his nose against mine. "So we compromise. I'm sure there's a way we can make us both happy." He pecked me on the forehead, his body heat radiating like a roaring bonfire. His lips moved down to my cheek, then back to my ear where he nibbled.

"I can't negotiate under these circumstances," I moaned.

He looked me in the eye. "So you're saying you'll negotiate? In that case, I think these are the perfect circumstances." He wrapped his arms around me, sliding his hands underneath the opening in the back of my dress and burying his face in my neck. "I don't want you to see anyone else."

"That's not possible. I don't date anyone exclusively."

He made his way up my neck and cradled my chin as he kissed me, his tongue slipping inside and give me just a brief taste. "Why not?"

I couldn't think; his heat and sex appeal was overwhelming me. How was I supposed to discuss this when I was so overwhelmed with his advances?

Then it occurred to me: he was the only one playing the offensive. I decided it was my turn to get the upper hand. I started unbuttoning his shirt, one by one, and slipped my fingers underneath, sensually massaging his chest. A light groan escaped his throat. "Because commitment never works for me. I always end up with a – oh god…" I lost my train of thought as he kissed down the front of my chest and slipped the dress off one of my shoulders. I gulped and found my voice. "A winy little weasel who thinks he can't live without me."

I slipped my fingers down on top of his pants, cupping his bulge, which was delightfully hard. His breath caught and he cleared his throat. "Do I feel like a little weasel to you?"

He had a point. "I'm not ready to be committed to anyone." His fingers slid down the arm that was undressed, then back up to land on my breast. He licked and nipped at my neck while his hand moved sensually around my nipple. God, I could have died.

"So we won't commit, then," he murmured.

My eyes shot open. Really? He was going to give in that easily? "But you said you won't date anyone who sees another man."

He pushed me back against the window and I moaned as his lips found my nipple. He spoke between licks. "I won't. But that doesn't mean we have to be committed." He stood to look at me. "We'll just see how it goes. The moment one of us is no longer satisfied, we call it off."

I considered that. It seemed reasonable, it had just always been so difficult to break up with the other guys I'd dated. "So you won't run away crying if I break it off in three days?"

He smirked. "I might cry, but it'll because I'm having ridiculously intense sex with someone else."

I bit my lip as I contemplated and immediately his bulge grew. I knew it was time to stake my own claims. "Okay," I began. I pushed him off me and sat tall, teasing the other side of my dress to the edge of my shoulder. "If you're going to make me commit to you, then there are a few things I want."

He stared at my hand as if willing it lower my dress further. "Keep talking."

My sleeve dropped to my elbow. "You will accompany me to every business event I attend – and you will not be an ass."

He nodded, his eyes boring into my dress as if he might shrivel it to pieces with his gaze. "What else?"

I slipped my arm out from the sleeve, but kept my left breast covered. I stood and backed him up a few paces. "I want you here. In my office. At my request – no questions asked. When I need you, you come."

He gulped. "Oh, I'll come, Ana. I will come."

I dropped the dress to my waist. He reached for my chest but I slapped his hands away, massaging my own breasts instead and moaning. "Mmmmmm…and there's one more thing. If you can do this, it's a deal." I ran my right hand below my dress, pleasuring myself to his utter delight.

He nodded furiously. "Whatever you want, Ana, just drop the fucking dress."

I pushed him up against the wall and stepped back so he had me in full view, but I was too far to touch. The tent at his crotch made my mouth water and I imagined sucking him into me. I lowered the dress to just above my pelvis so he could see my underwear. I needed him to agree to my final request; it was vital. So with one hand holding my dress up, I reached underneath and shimmied out of my underwear, letting them drop to the floor. I kicked them to Christian's feet. He picked them up and pulled them to his nose, breathing deeply. His eyes were wide with wont and I knew I'd never have him on the hook like this. I could practically see drool dribbling from his mouth.

"I don't want anyone we know to know about our arrangement. Not Elliott, not Kate, not your mother, not anyone. I don't care if strangers or the tabloids or my fucking competition believe we're together, but as far as Kate and Elliott are concerned, you're just another one of my many escorts. I don't need the pressure of Kate's over-enthusiastic relationship advice on top of everything else. Do you understand?" I stared at his bare pecks, taut with desire and wondered what I would do if he didn't agree. I had him burning for me, but with my nipples hard as rocks, I was just as hot and heavy for him.

He seemed to hesitate. My libido wasn't willing to lose him or his agreement to my request so I lowered the dress just a stitch so the tip of my Brazilian strip was visible. I thought he might blow his top right there.

He closed his eyes and when they opened, they were resolute. "Done," he whispered, hoarsely. "Now take it off. Slowly."

I seductively lowered the dress and stepped towards him, running my hands from my hips, across my body and all the way into my hair. I wanted sex and I wanted it bad. His chest heaved as he reached for me and pulled me to him like a magnet. He didn't kiss me right away, but moaned as his hands explored me head to toe as if he were a lost and starving wolf. "God, you're amazing." He stared menacingly into my eyes. "I have to have you. Now."

He pulled me from my feet and I wrapped my naked legs around him, running my lips up and down his neck and along his jaw line as he carried me to my desk. He didn't even bother to clear it. I landed right on top of my contract paperwork and calculator, but I didn't give a damn. I just wanted to satisfy the rabid ache between my legs and there was only one person who could make me whole again.

I scooted to the edge of the desk and pulled his mouth to mine, plunging my tongue deep, our game of tonsil hockey leaving us both winners. He unbuttoned his pants and threw them to the ground while my body pressed up against him as tightly as I could manage, my pelvis unable to get close enough to his. Before he sealed the deal, he ran his fingers along the crease of my upper leg and into my sex. He stroked my labia and then brushed my clit. "Baby, you want me. You want me like I want you."

"God, yes," I moaned.

He pulled his fingers out and licked them seductively. He positioned himself so the tip of his cock kissed the entrance of my vagina, making me burn even deeper.  
"This seals the deal," he said emphatically. "If you want out, you'd better get out now."

I'd had enough waiting; enough games. I grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him to me so we were nose to nose. "Fuck me now, Christian."

He face scrunched in ecstasy as he plunged into me, hitting every burning nerve that shot through my seething body. Each thrust made me grip tighter around him, squeezing him, begging him to send me just one notch higher. At last, with a growl, he pounded into me and my body exploded around him, convulsing with every able muscle. He came with me, moaning while he bit my nipples. I clutched him in ecstasy, his muscles pulsating under my fingertips, hoping the sensations would never end, wishing he would never leave.

I was still coming down from the high when he started stroking my belly and chest, his lips kissing up my shoulder again. "I fucking love your body."

I chuckled. "So do I."

He smiled and I delighted in the exhaustion in his eyes. I shook my head. "How do you do this to me, Christian?"

He picked me up off the table, my legs still wrapped around him, and he kissed me softly and lovingly. "I've been wanting to ask you the same thing since the day I met you."

 _ **Want more? The third book in my romance trilogy comes out this week and I need some people who will give me a review on Amazon in exchange for a free copy before it's released. If you'd like to read a suspenseful story about steamy love, loss, and self-discovery, PM me!**_


	15. Chapter 15

"For exactly how long are you going to try to avoid talking about this, Anastasia Steele?" Kate's hands were relaxed on either side of her plate, but the resolution in her eyes told me it was an act; she wanted answers.

"Avoid talking about what?" I asked, taking a hefty bite from my deli sandwich. Our favorite sandwich joint was busier than usual for a Friday afternoon and I wasn't terribly keen on divulging my fucked-up love life in the company of a large number of strangers. But, as usual, Kate was persistent.

"Oh come one, Ana, you are being cruel!" Kate's demeanor softened and a smile crept across her lips. "I saw Christian go into your office yesterday. Quit playing coy and dish already."

I giggled. It felt like we were back in college again, mooning over last night's lay. I wasn't ready to give in yet. "So he came in my office," I stifled a giggle at my double-entendre, "big deal. We had to discuss this weekend's corporate Employee Appreciation event."

"So he's going with you, then?"

I set down my sandwich. "Are you going to let me eat?"

"No. Not a chance."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course he's going with me. You said it yourself: he's hotter than all my other escorts. I'll take him whenever he's free."

Kate sat back and eyed me carefully, her mouth screwed up to the side. "No. That's not right. There's something more going on here. You don't bring the same guy into your office for a fuck session _and_ have him take you to an event in the same week. Not even Toby had that much consistency."

I blanched. "I never said we fucked."

Kate snickered. "I saw him when left your office, Ana. I have never seen a man more satisfied in my entire life."

I couldn't help the small smile that escaped me. She'd never seen a man more satisfied? I didn't like the pleasure that statement gave me.

"See? Now you're smiling! There's more to this story, Ms. Steele, and I'll get it out of you if it kills me." She contemplated for a moment. That was never a good sign. "So how are you going to work out the fact that he works at an escort agency now that you're taking him with you to more than one event? You're not worried about the questions people might raise if they see him at a different event with someone else?"

Shit. I hadn't thought about that. Kate really knew how to kick where it hurts. If I was going to allow the general public to believe Christian and I were an item, it could be PR hell if he was seen with someone else. I glanced down at my phone, calculating how soon I'd have the chance to text him.

But Kate had asked this question on purpose; she was trying to talk me into a corner so I'd have to admit there was something more going on. Time to pull out all the stops. "I think you underestimate my ability to garner commitment from the men I patronize, Kate. If Christian wants to continue to be 'satisfied' by me on occasion, it will require some sacrifice on his part." I lowered the volume of my voice to a seductive tone. "Don't worry, he's up to the task. More so than the other men stopping by the office next week."

Kate's eyes narrowed and her voice elevated an octave. "You're _playing_ him? Are you serious, Ana? You can't go fucking around with men like that. At least with the other escorts the lack of commitment was mutual, but this…" She stood up, stomped to the deli counter, and returned with a to-go box. She packed her sandwich like Matthew packed his desk after I fired him last week. "He deserves better than that, Ana. I saw the look on his face when he left your office – this is _not_ a silly fling for him. If you were going to fuck around with someone's heart, you could have at least done me the favor of choosing someone I don't have to face on a regular basis."

She stomped off before I could respond. My sandwich suddenly lost its appeal. That definitely wasn't the response I'd been shooting for. I didn't want Kate angry with me, and God knows, I had no desire to play games with men. But what choice did I have but to let her believe I did? I'd accomplished my goal: Kate wouldn't be asking anymore questions. But managing her anger might not be worth the gains.

Gains and losses. Balancing the pros vs the cons. These were things I was good at. This was not the first time my decisions had put someone else out; it was not different than managing my business. She'd just have to be angry for a little while, at least until I could come up with a better story to feed her. Far more influential people had been angry with me before. It was just a matter of focusing on the practical benefits of someone else's discomfort.

I retrieved my own to-go box and wrapped up my delectable sandwich. _Sorry, little guy, you'll have to wait until later. Chances are, I won't be eating much over the next 24 hours. But never fear, my appetite will come back soon enough._

By the time I left the deli, I already had my phone out and my fingers typing.

"It occurs to me that there is something we didn't clarify in our arrangement. Are you planning to continue working for the escort agency?"

The response came almost immediately. "Man's gotta eat."

I grumbled audibly, grateful the Seattle streets were so noisy. I tapped another message. "If u want to eat _me_ , u should probably rethink that answer."

I was almost back to the office by the time the response came through. "While I appreciate the imagery, I do have bills to pay. I believe we discussed my lack of options when it comes to employment."

I pushed the glass doors of my building open and strode across the lobby, my anger building. "I understand the challenge, but a deal is a deal. If I can't date anyone else, neither can u."

The elevator opened and I stepped on. "I'm heart-warmed that u care. But I have bills 2 pay."

"I'll pay your bills 4 u."

"Why don't u cut my balls off while ur at it?"

I laughed derisively as I entered the office. "This isn't about ur manhood, it's about my reputation."

"It's my reputation 2"

I entered the office and threw my purse on my desk. This was not going well. Maybe it would be best just to call the whole thing off. I'd be better off if I continued to bring a new man to every event than if I had the business world believing that poor unmarried Anastasia Steele was being cheated on.

I slumped in my chair and pulled out a couple of pain relievers. This day was not starting out the way I'd hoped. I glanced at the clock – just fifteen minutes until my meeting with the executive sales team. Shit, and I just fired Matthew. I popped another pill. He was good at his job, too. It would be hard to find another VP with his talent. I'd have kept him if my feminist leanings didn't have this way of insisting I get rid of people who sexually harass their subordinates. _God, it sucks to have ethics._

My phone dinged again. Christian. "I'm not letting u back out over a technicality, if that's what ur thinking of doing."

I stared at the text for several minutes as an idea began to brew in my head. Christian was pushy, dominating, and insistent on getting his way. He was smart, too. And God, so charismatic…it was a brilliant idea, really. Would it be a huge mistake, though? It would definitely put our "relationship" to the test and it could blow up in our faces if we broke up.

 _No. No, not worth it, Ana. You can't put your company at risk like that. Call it off with Christian, that's the practical option._

I picked up my phone to text him back, but my eyes wandered over to the edge of my desk where he had fucked me so deliciously just a few days before. Everything about him made my skin light on fire; just imagining being with him made me want to demand he pay me a visit right then and there. I could rip his shirt open, lick his chest, feel that amazing bulge beneath my groin…but I was a practical woman, and logic would always win with me.

I tapped my answer. "Technicality or no, I don't think this is going to work."

That's what I should've typed. Instead, I typed this:

"Come to my office ASAP. You're going to work for me."

 _ **Visit my website for more tantalizing stories! www dot writersoftherain dot com**_


	16. Chapter 16

I glanced at my phone again as seven pairs of eyes bore into me from around the conference table. He was late. I'd told him to come right away; how long did it take to get from his apartment to my office? Was he running late on purpose?

I fumed. It would be just like him to be late just to prove that he was still the one in control. It occurred to me that he had never actually responded to the text. Was it possible he wouldn't accept? It would be crazy. I was offering him the opportunity of a lifetime. He'd never get back into such a prestigious role anywhere else.

"Ms. Steele?" I shot a demeaning stare at Tim, my Director of Sales. He shrank just slightly. "Should we get started?"

I looked at my phone and then at the door one more time. I huffed. "Okay, fine. Let's get started. As many of you are aware, Matthew is no longer with the company. The separation was mutual and in the best interest of both the company and his career." It was a lie, but selling someone out in front of their peers had never been my MO. Tim folded his hands on the table and sat up a little straighter. Ugh. There was no way I was promoting him. He wasn't anywhere near ready; he could barely handle being the Director.

I opened my mouth to continue on with my announcement that I'd be taking over the VP of Sales responsibilities while we searched for a replacement when the door opened and Adam stepped in.

"Uh…Ms. Steele?"

I tried to stay calm. "I'm in the middle of a meeting, Adam." He knew never to interrupt me during a meeting.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but there's a man requesting he speak with you."

Christian. First he's late, then he wants to pull me from my meeting? No fucking way. "Tell him the meeting concludes in an hour."

Adam didn't move. "He's, uh, rather insistent. Says it's urgent."

I gave him a death stare. "What is urgent about his visit?"

He looked around and started wringing his fingers. "He says you requested he come right away. He claims you asked to be pulled from your meeting when he arrived."

I fought back the ire boiling within me. Christian was good. There was no way I could back out of meeting with him without tarnishing my own reputation. I nodded my head and followed Adam into the hallway. He guided me to the small conference room just a few doors down.

I feigned a smile. "Thanks, Adam."

I walked in and he shut the door behind me. Christian was sitting at the conference table, glowering. I sat across from him, very happy to finally be able to let loose the scowl that had been tormenting me for the past twenty minutes.

"I hope you have a good reason for pulling me out of my meeting. The one you were supposed to be here for."

His eyes narrowed. "Is that what you take me for? A little puppy dog on your very short leash?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, Christian, I'm doing you a favor. Are you seriously pissed at me because I offered you a very high-paying job in an industry you love?"

"I don't remember receiving an offer. I recall receiving an order."

I threw my hands in the air. "This is ridiculous, you're busting my ass over a technicality. Do you want the job or not? Because I have a meeting to get to, and if you say no, I've got to schedule a shitload of interviews for next week. Which means I'm already behind." I stood up. "So what's it gonna be?"

His lips curled into a sneer. "At least now you're asking a question. But I still don't accept charity, particularly not from someone I plan to fuck on a regular basis."

I groaned. "This is not fucking charity, Christian. For God's sake. I know your reputation, okay? You were incredibly good at your job. You're smart, charismatic, you know how to get people to do what you want them to do, you're fucking hot as hell…this benefits me as much as it benefits you, if not more."

He stood too, more resolute now. "You're right. I am good at getting what I want." He strode over to me and I found myself suddenly grateful that we had placed blinds over the conference room windows. He buttoned his jacket and got right up in my face. "I want you to ask me to take this job. Not for me; for you. Because you need me. Because you want me."

I grabbed the door handle. "I don't feel like playing games right now, Christian, I have a meeting to get to."

He pulled me away from the door and backed me up against the opposing wall. He immediately bent down and started kissing me. I had missed his lips dearly, but I was too pissed to get distracted. I shoved him back, but he resisted. "Christian, this is my fucking business. I run it my way. If you want to play caveman during sex, go right ahead, but no one – _no one_ – fucks around with my business. You take the job, and we continue with our arrangement, or you get the hell out of my office."

I blew past him and opened the door. "Actually you know what? Forget about the job. This whole mess you've made today is an embarrassment to my business. I have dedicated colleagues who have been waiting for me for fifteen minutes now while you play your bullshit games. In fact, forget about the whole goddamned arrangement. This isn't what I signed up for."

I slammed the door behind me, causing a poor wandering secretary to jump and drop her paperwork, and stomped down the hall. I stopped momentarily in the front of the large conference room to take a moment to calm myself. I doubled-checked my suit, resituated my collar, and re-entered.

"Sorry about that, folks. Dissatisfied customer. Sometimes it's important to take the time to talk them off the cliff." I smiled and everyone responded in kind.

We resumed the meeting and reviewed the tasks and strategic projects left behind by Matthew's departure.

"The Holmes account is going to be a tough one," Tim said, as we moved through the client list, "we had several manufacturing hiccups with their product and Matthew was stepping in to mediate the situation. In fact, I believe he's the only one they've been willing to speak to."

There was a distinct edge to his words as he looked across the table to Grant, the manager of this account. Grant cleared his throat, "Yes, uh, they were on the brink of switching to a competitor after all the delays, but Matthew stepped in and somehow convinced them to stick with us a little longer."

"I'll take that one on," Tim announced. "I've met their Production Manager once or twice so I probably have a better relationship."

He glared at Grant. I didn't like this; this was one of the reasons I was avoidant to promote Tim. He was fantastic when it came to managing the details and logistics of his sales team, but he tended to put himself in competition with them. There was no way I was going to chance him bad-mouthing one of my best sales execs to his own customer.

"No, I'll get in touch with him, Tim. It will give me a chance to explain the situation from both a personnel and a production perspective."

"It's fine, Ms. Steele, I can handle it – "

"I'm taking this one on, Tim. You've got enough on your plate in Matthew's absence as it is."

The conference room door opened and I turned to rip into to whoever was now interrupting my meeting for the second time; my carafe of patience was officially empty.

"Sorry I'm late, Ms. Steele, I wanted to get up-to-date on all the accounts before sitting down with the team."

Christian fucking Grey. I wanted to bury my head in my hands or run him off our floor of the building, but my whole team was sitting around the table, waiting for me to take my usual position of control.

I stared at him completely baffled so he introduced himself. "I'm Christian Grey, the new VP of Sales. It's great to finally meet the team."

He went around the table, shaking hands with each member of the team. My eyes narrowed as my two female Account Executives gaped at Christian. _Hands off, ladies._

I decided to take the high road. I would need a therapist for the emotional whiplash Christian was giving me, but I got what I wanted; he'd be my sole fuck buddy and I wouldn't have to worry about him working for that goddamn escort agency anymore. In fact, it appeared I had some phone numbers to throw away.

Christian managed the meeting like the industry veteran he was. Every item on the agenda was covered, each team member had a set of assignments to follow up on, and by the time the meeting concluded, he had the entire team eating out of his hand. Even Tim.

"I really appreciate your help on all of this, Tim," he pandered, "I have a feeling your wealth of experience within the company is going to be invaluable."

Gag. His sugary sweetness was nauseating, but it was hard to criticize him for it with Tim gazing at him like he was some kind of corporate God. With Tim's ambitions, this could have been a very awkward situation indeed, but Christian already had him completely sold on the fact that he hadn't been promoted. Hell, he even looked grateful.

"Thanks to everyone for their hard work. Christian, welcome aboard, it looks like we've got a very cohesive team already." Christian nodded. "We have some paperwork to handle still, so let's head to my office while everyone else gets started on their assigned tasks."

The two female Account Executives, Mimi and Tiana, batted their eyes shyly at Christian as they exited the conference room. I rolled my eyes at him but he just smiled. "After you, Ms. Steele."

We stepped into my office and, as soon as the door was shut, I reeled on him. "What the fuck is your problem? Have you been messing with me all day today? Because I can't keep up with your u-turns. What's next? Are you going to quit before you leave today?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you'd be happy. You wanted me to work for you and I came through. I don't understand why you're upset?"

I stuck my hands stubbornly on my hips. "I'm upset because I have no fucking clue what you're going to do next! You fought me tooth and nail on this and then all of sudden you show up in my conference room announcing you're taking the job? I mean, you could've at least informed me first."

His jaw set. "I was under the impression your need was rather immediate."

"No, no. This is you trying to take control without my permission. You purposely refused me when we discussed this in the small conference room so you could throw me off my game in front of all my employees."

He shook his head. " I would never do that. I fully respect your position of power here."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Really? Then start fucking acting like it."

I talked to my desk and threw myself in the chair. I opened my browser, attached a couple of files, and sent an email. "The employment contract is coming to your personal email address. I'll get a corporate email set up for you by Monday. This shit had better be signed and returned to me by the time work starts Monday morning or I'll never believe a fucking word you say ever again."

Christian walked up to my desk, placed his hands flat on the surface, and leaned over to look me in the eye. "I changed my mind because I realized you were right." I pretended to take sudden interest in the contents of one of my work folders. "I wasn't being fair. I realize combining work and our 'relationship' is a complicated matter, but if I were in your shoes, I would never allow _anyone_ to come between me and my business."

I sighed and stood. I walked to the other side of the desk and leaned against it beside him. "Thank you."

He stood and looked at me incredulously. "For what?"

"For taking the job."

He reached out to stroke my cheek and I shut my eyes, allowing the comfort to fill me. What a fucked up day.

"You don't want to lose control of your business. And I don't want to lose you." He shrugged. "What choice did I have?"

He pulled me in and held me for a moment. The stress of the day suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks and I melted into his embrace. His hands snuck their way down south and he gave my ass a squeeze.

I jumped back. "Oh no, Mr. Grey. I'm not done being mad at you. You are on sex probation at least until the end of the day."

He pulled out his phone to check the time. "It's four o'clock. I don't know about you, but my day is over."

He reached for my ass again but I smacked his hand out of the way and wagged my finger in his face. "I have a shit ton of work to do before I go and I'm not going to let you distract me. I have a new employee to add to the internal communications system, the SharePoint site, the inter-office instant messaging, the company events email list, the company benefits package, and I still have to get this bastard a corporate email, a decent office, and work out what kind of salary I can offer him. Which means I have to call IT, HR, and Finance and I am _not_ " - I emphasized the last word as he stepped closer to me once again – "going to do all that while you're fucking me to high heaven in the background."

He stepped backwards and held his hands up in submission. "As you wish, CEO Steele. I shall save my erotic and tantalizing hands for a later time."

My pulse raced at his words. But I refused to be distracted. "Be at Yauny's at 7pm sharp for dinner." He nodded and turned to leave the office. "And Christian?" He paused. "Your day doesn't end until five o'clock. Between now and then, I expect you'll be doing some very intense finger exercises."

I could almost feel the smile spreading across his face as he reached for the door. "I shall be thorough, Ms. Steele."

 _ **Thanks for reading! I'm so excited because my story "Muddy Heels" has been requested for review by a Literary Agent! I don't know if they'll take me on or not yet, but cross your fingers! (and if they take it, I may have to remove it from here so go read it while you still can!)**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**I'm sorry I've been kind of MIA lately! Took a trip to Vegas last week and got an AH-mazing lap dance from a male stripper – yum! Gave me some great ideas for a new 50 Shades fanfic: imagine Christian Grey combined with Channing Tatum? Oh my!**_

 _ **Trying to get back on the ball here. Hope this chapter makes up for my absence!**_

"Have you lost your fucking mind? You _hired_ him? And you didn't even consult me first?"

"You know, you asked me to be your partner for a reason, Kate. At some point you're going to have to realize that it's because you can trust my business decisions."

"It's not your business decisions that concern me. But speaking of that, exactly how is this going to work? The entire office is going to know you're dating your new hire. And I recall you specifically mentioning that you don't fuck within the business."

I shrugged. "Things change, Kate. Everyone will deal with it. It's better than continuing my slut-slash-cat lady reputation."

"And you're going to keep patronizing your other escorts as well? This is messed up, Ana, you have to see that."

My phone beeped and my reminder of dinner with Christian popped up on the screen. I grabbed my jacket from my office chair and hurried to the elevator with Kate hot on my heels. "It's done, Kate. Can we talk about this later? I have a dinner date."

"With Christian, I hope."

"Of _course_ with Christian. We have a lot of business items to cover between now and Monday."

"I'm warning you, Anastasia Steele: if any of your antics bleed into my relationship with Elliot, I swear to God…"

I stepped into the elevator and turned to face her. "They won't, Kate. Don't worry. Both Christian and I are professionals."

I heaved a sigh of relief as the doors shut on her pouty face. As the elevator descended, exhaustion set in and I found myself wishing I could just go home and go to bed. And I considered it, especially after several cigarette smoke-stained people squeezed in next to me on the elevator; that smell wasn't going to come out of my clothes without a good wash.

But when I walked into Yauny's at 6:45pm and saw Christian waiting for me at a table with his oh-so-sexy suit and those probing eyes dissecting the wine list, a strange kind of humming energy filled me. I fixed my hair and ducked into the bathroom to make use of the perfume to douse the cigarette smell. I sauntered back out, trying to maintain my usual swagger, but I felt unusually uncomfortable. Nervous, even.

I approached the table and Christian's eyes met mine like dynamite in a mineshaft. He stood and I reached for him, wanting his energy to completely take me over and relieve the stress of the day. He wrapped his arms around me and offered a gentle kiss.

"Long day?"

I nodded as I buried my face in his neck. "I had this asshole new hire to deal with today. Hot as fuck, but extremely ornery."

Christian laughed. "That _does_ make for a shitty day. But I bet he was just trying to impress you."

I pulled away and sat across from him at the table. "Perhaps. He certainly impressed a few of my younger, more attractive colleagues."

"I doubt he even noticed."

I smiled. My stress had already decreased to near zero and it occurred to me that Christian's presence at work could serve as somewhat of a tonic.

"What's good on the wine list?"

"They have an excellent Merlot here. I already ordered a bottle. And the waitress recommended the prime rib special for dinner; I was thinking that would be great after a long day of work. She's also bringing you a glass of water with lemon and an order of mussels to start."

My jaw dropped. His memory was impeccable. Although how did he even know I liked mussels? We'd never been to a restaurant that served anything that fancy together.

But God, it was so nice to not have to worry about anything for a little while. I'd been running crazy all day and now, here I was at dinner, with absolutely no decisions to make; not even my choice of beverage. It was surprisingly cathartic.

The waitress returned with our bottle of wine and Christian eyed me as she poured me a taster. I nodded and she filled our glasses, then took our order.

Once again, Christian took charge. "We'll both have the prime rib. I'd like mine medium rare with an order of the asparagus and garlic potatoes. Ana will have hers medium well with an order of the sautéed vegetables and a baked potato with extra butter."

I gawked again and Christian flashed his amazingly wicked smile. "I'm an exceedingly talented stalker."

I nodded. "Yes, I can see that. There are really no circumstances under which this shouldn't be creepy and terrifying."

"Oh, you should definitely be terrified."

A shiver ran down my spine. "I don't know, Mr. Grey; I have a fair amount of leverage on you as of today."

"Assuming I don't decide to simply usurp your position and take over your company." My eyes bulged. "But I like it when you call me 'Mr. Grey' so as long as you keep that up, I shall temper my instincts."

A smile played on his lips and I relaxed. I didn't doubt he could be capable of running me out of my own business if he wanted to. Why on earth did that thought make me tingle in such erotic places?

"I think we'll need to make this dinner quick, Mr. Grey. If you play your cards right, there are other places I'd prefer to speak your name – and much more loudly."

This time his jaw dropped. I didn't take him off guard often so I delighted in the sight. "Ms. Steele, I'm not sure it's appropriate to say such things to a new employee."

"It wouldn't be as much fun if it were."

Our food arrived not long after and we both dove in hungrily, though we rarely took our eyes off each other. I took advantage of our proximity and kicked off my heels to run my foot up and down Christian's leg. He reached across the table and took my hand, caressing my fingers delicately as he ate. I inched my toes up to his knee, then his thigh, until I found his hardened crotch.

"It is always wise to stand at attention when the boss is around," I teased.

"It appears I can't help myself," he replied. He leaned in. "If it weren't grossly illegal, I'd pull you onto my lap and fuck you right here."

I blushed as the waitress showed up to check on us. Christian glared at her. "We're fine, but we'll take the check as quickly as you can bring it."

She scurried off and returned just moments later, a small piece of paper with a lame smiley-face scrawled on it in-hand. "Here's your bill, Mr. Grey. It has already been settled."

Christian's eyes narrowed. Uh oh. He didn't like being taken by surprise. "What do you mean it's been settled? The meal was on the house?"

"No," she said as she became visibly nervous. It was nice to see that I wasn't the only one he intimidated beyond words. "The man over at the bar covered it." She gestured behind her where an older balding man sat with his back to us. He turned around and sneered with a patronizing wave.

I buried my head in my hands. "Leon Dietrick…"

The waitress looked very confused, indeed. "He said he was an old family friend. He left a note for you on the back of the bill."

She all but ran away from Christian's deepening glare as he read the words on the note. "This fucker really has it out for you."

I reached for the note. "Let me see."

Mr. Grey and Ms. Steele,

Or shall I call you Mr. and Mrs. Grey? It's such a delight to see the two of you together again; I was worried Mr. Grey was simply another one night…well, you know what I mean. I hope you enjoy your dinner. I'm sure Ms. Steele will need the strength now that she has to deal with you at the office every day. To show my support for your new partnership, dinner's on me.

Your friend, Leon

"What the fuck?" I stared at the note. Did he know? Was he alluding to Christian's employment with my company? And if so, how on earth did he know? I looked at Christian accusingly. "How in God's name does he – "

"Ana, I would never sell you out like that," he seethed. His tone startled me. "Who the hell do you think I am? I told you that I respect your position at the company; it's up to you decide how and when you announce my employment. There's no fucking way I'd get in the middle of that."

I looked back down at the note. "Then how…"

Christian ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know."

I slouched back in my seat and ran over the day's events. I couldn't think of a single place I had even made mention of Christian's employment other than internal emails… _oh fuck._

"Christian! The security breach last week!"

He stood and pulled me up with him. "Grab your stuff. You can make some calls on the way to your place and then re-run the security checks on your laptop when we get there. Did you walk or drive here?"

"My car dropped me off."

"Good."

He hustled me out to the parking lot and we zoomed away in his Audi.


	18. Chapter 18

By the time we got to my place, I had already sent Yvette and her entire security team on a mission to try to tie Leon to the security breach. Christian parked in the garage and we hurried to my apartment to run my security software.

As soon as we were in the door, I ran straight for my office but Christian headed for the kitchen. "Can I get you something? Glass of wine, maybe?"

"Vodka shots?" I yelled.

A pause. "Red wine, it is." 

I rolled my eyes. He could be such a pansy when it came to alcohol sometimes. I burst through the French doors of my office and hooked my laptop to the network. It took a few minutes to boot during which I unwrapped a piece of European dark chocolate I had stashed in my top drawer for emergencies exactly like this – kept me from biting my nails to the bone.

It was like the fucking computer was deliberately running slow. I pounded my desk and yelled at it a few times before the Home screen finally popped up. I navigated to the "Start" menu and started the security scan.

Well shit, now what? I have to sit here and wait?

Christian entered the room with two glasses of Merlot. "Everything running?"

I huffed. "Yes, finally. Why do these things have to take so goddamn long?" I poured half my glass of wine down my throat in one gulp.

"Easy, now," Christian chided. "Getting drunk won't make it go any quicker."

"I beg to differ."

I finished my chocolate – which pared beautifully with the wine – and shifted in my seat. The restlessness was driving me mad. I finally threw my hands in the air. "What the fuck am I supposed to do for the next half an hour?"

Christian raised a seductive eyebrow. "Fuck you," I spat.

I stood and stomped out to the living room. I started organizing the already immaculate bookshelves the maid had already dusted and cleaned to sparkling. It took me a few minutes to realize I was just moving books around, then putting them back in the same place.

Christian finally walked up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "How about the TV? I'm sure we could find something more interesting to watch than this."

I sighed and let him lead me to the couch. He grabbed the remote and we flipped through the menu, desperate to find a good distraction. We both sat forward at the same time. "GALAXY QUEST!" we cried, triumphantly.

We turned to look at each other. "Jinx!" I cried with a jab of my finger.

He shoved my hand away. "What are you, eight? You can't jinx me."

"Wanna bet? You're not allowed to talk until I unjinx you."

He gave me a look of satisfaction, flipped to the Galaxy Quest channel, and sat back against the couch with a smile. My shoulders fell. "Well it's not fun if you enjoy it." I paused to think, the turned to him with a wide grin. "Rule change: no _sex_ until I unjinx you."

His jerked his head to me, wide-eyed. "Now that's just cruel. And that rule would never fly with the elementary-age jinx committee."

"How do you know? Kids are pretty well-informed at a young age these days. They might go for it."

He glowered. "That's sick."

"Only because it means I'm in control of when you have sex next."

He continued to glare but then his frown switched to a wry smile. "It means you control when I have sex – but not everything leading up to that."

My stomach fell but my heart started to race. Oh shit – loophole. I laughed nervously. "You think you can make cave, do you?"

He leaned in. "I think I can make you do a lot of things. In fifteen minutes, you won't even remember the meaning of the word 'jinx'."

My face suddenly became very hot. Only the kitchen light had been turned on when we arrived at the apartment so it was dark in the living room except for the small ambient light radiating from the television – and it really accented the wicked look on Christian's face. I could feel my breathing quicken already. Shit, was he right? Did he really have this much power over me?

No, I determined. I'd win this game. _If I can run a fucking multi-million dollar company, I can certainly manage a simple game of jinx._

Christian raised his hands and I shrank, worried he was about to pull me on his lap, or kiss me, or do something else I might find irresistible. But he didn't. He simply rested his fingers on the collar of his shirt and undid his tie. I relaxed. For a moment, anyways. Because within in seconds, his tie was off and he was wrapping it tightly around is left hand while his dark eyes bore into mine. The veins in his arms were popping out with the force and my mind was reeling over what evil plan he had mulling around in that sexy brain of his.

He tied the tie off, then reached for his shirt, unbuttoning each button so slow it almost made me drool as another section of his gorgeous chest was revealed bit by bit.

I turned away and pretended to be engrossed in what was happening in the movie, but when he sat forward and pulled his shirt all the way off, I couldn't keep my eyes off him. He turned his neck to crack it and rested his elbows on his knees – still staring at me.

"What is it, Ana? I thought you liked this movie?"

I shivered. "I do…" My eyes ran over every inch of his taut abs, biceps, and arms. And his hands – oh God, those hands….

"Why aren't you watching it? Certainly Tim Allen is more entertaining than I am."

He reached down to pull off his shoes and socks. _Oh God, no. Please, God no. Don't do it…_

He totally did. He stood up, stretched his arms above his head, then slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He was already bulging deliciously and he let his pants hang from his hips for a moment while he unwound the tie from his left hand.

His pants hit the floor and my eyes crawled over the way his boxer briefs hugged his hips and – other things – in just the right way.

He leaned over me, placing his hands on the couch behind my head, the tie still dangling dangerously from his left hand.

He hovered just centimeters from my face, his mouth teasing mine as if to kiss me, but continually refusing. "What should I do with this tie, Ana?"

The glow of the television was making him look far more menacing than usual and I was shocked at how wet it made me. But I wasn't ready to give in yet. "Maybe you should shove it up your ass."

He glowered, but hardly flinched. He stroked my jaw. "Oh, Ana. I've been playing this game much, much longer than you have."

"Is that so?"

I pushed him back so I was standing in front of him. I ran my hands over his chest, relishing in the feel of his skin on mine. He shut his eyes and released a moan as my hands teased further south. But just before I hit my target, I stopped, stepped backward and backed up against the window. With a low moan, I peeled my shirt off, then rolled against the window down to the floor, and back up again, my hands making incredibly pleasurable paths across my body.

My pants came off next, but I left my heels on. With a quick swoop, I grabbed the tall lamp by the couch and rolled against it, sliding my hands up and down the pole suggestively.

I glanced at Christian, his jaw gaping and his chest heaving like an animal ready to pounce.

I looked back at the pole and ran my tongue across the surface. "You could come beg me to unjinx you," I moaned. I looked him in the eye. "Or I could just fuck this lamp instead."

He clenched his jaw and reached for the other end of his tie with his right hand. With an evil glint in his eye, he snapped the tie outwards and stepped towards me.


	19. Chapter 19

Before I could protest, Christian ripped my hands from the lamp and backed me against the window. He held me in place with his pelvis – his pleasure so wonderfully obvious – and glared as he unwound the tie from his left hand.

"Oh, Ana. You've teased me one too many times. I don't like to be teased."

I looked up at him through my lashes. "Oh, I beg to differ." I leaned in to his ear. "I think you love it," I whispered and my hands ran over his abs again.

He forcefully pulled my hands away from him and pinned them over the top of my head, then tied them together with the tie. Unfortunately, there was a latent hook from an older piece of art that used to hang in that spot. Christian took advantage and hooked my tied hands over it.

He placed his hands on either side of my face and leaned in. "You won't be fucking any lamps tonight."

He looked angry, but it made me smile. And it made my body feel things that were wonderfully foreign. He stepped back and looked me over as if contemplating how to punish a slave.

"I should fuck you right now just to show you that your games have no power over me."

I lowered my voice. "You can't fuck me unless I let you. And I'm not letting you until you beg me; just like I promised."

His face became animalic. "Watch me."

But instead of throwing himself up against me as I expected him to, he approached me slowly and seductively, first trailing light kisses across my throat, then making his way down to my breasts.

I could do nothing to quay the sensations he was sending through my body. His lips met my nipples and he began to suck gently while his fingers glided up and down my sides. "I know you want me just as badly as I want you," he murmured.

"Not until you beg," I moaned – I kicked myself for sounding so weak.

He played out his massacre on my breasts for long minutes, his tongue and lips tickling one nipple into ecstasy while his long, strong fingers teased the other. I was fighting to keep my composure; fighting not to let even the smallest cry escape my lips.

When he'd had enough, his lips strayed further down, across my belly button, until they were in between my legs.

I couldn't help it. "Fuck, Christian!" I cried. His soft but forceful lips and tongue were hitting all the right spots.

"I think it's time you start begging." He pulled away just as I started to feel like I might come involuntarily.

I bit my lip. "Only one person is going to be begging here."

He stood up and pulled off his boxers. I stared at him, wishing him inside me; every red, swollen bit of him.

He stepped up to me again, just close enough for his cock to brush my belly. He came nose to nose, his minty breath painting my skin. And then he wound his hands in my hair and pulled me to him, kissing me passionately while his dick continued to dig into my middle. He teased my mouth open and I let him in willingly, sucking his tongue and biting his lip so hard he cursed.

"Fine, you win," he seethed. "I'm going to fuck you now."

He crouched low and moved to enter me, but I leveraged my weight on the wall hook, reared my legs up, planted them between me and his chest, and pushed back hard. He flew backwards and crashed into the lamp before landing on the couch. In the same moment, the hook in the wall gave way and I crashed to the floor as well. The shock took a few seconds to wear off. When I made eye contact with him again, his now sweaty body still splayed out on the couch, he still maintained his signature glower, but this time it carried just a hint of surprise.

I didn't flint. "Not. Until. You. Beg."

The seconds ticked on and we continued our stand-off; me, buck naked on the carpet, my clit swollen and aching with need, and Christian, bolstered up by his elbows on the couch, his erection fuller than I'd ever seen it before, and his eyes a deadly black in the dim light.

He swallowed. "Please," he whispered.

I didn't move, but pulled at the ties that held my wrists with my teeth. When I had one hand free, I cupped it around my ear and leaned in. "What was that?"

"I want to fuck you. Now. Worse than I've ever wanted anyone before in my life."

I raised my eyebrow and he shut his eyes in frustration, then opened them again. With gritted teeth, he muttered the words I'd been waiting for: "I beg you, Ana. I'll beg you the rest of the night if I have to. But I _will_ have you."

I freed my other hand and stood, unknotting the rest of the tie. My eyes on his, and my body posed in the most seductive fashion possible, I draped the tie loosely around my neck.

"Then come and get me."

It was like being hit by the Tazmanian Devil. With amazing speed, he leaped from the couch, reached for the tie around my neck, and pulled me forcefully to him. His hands didn't touch my skin, but tugged the tie hard against the back of my neck so I had no choice but to enjoy the fullness of his mouth, his tongue, his teeth. He infested me, owned me, plowed right through me like some kind of devilish magic from hell. He tasted every inch of the inside of my mouth as if practicing for the moment his cock would enter me. Then he loosened his grip on the tie and let it slip down to my upper back.

"Lean back," he commanded. I reluctantly pulled away from his kiss and leaned gingerly into the tie. "All the way," he barked.

With the tie at the base of my shoulder blades, I leaned as far over its sturdy plank as I could so my tits pointed upward and my nipples caught the air. He took full advantage, but this time he wasn't so gentle. He licked and he sucked, but he nipped and he bit as well. I screeched as he took my body to brand new places, but I couldn't tell you if my screams were for pleasure or for pain.

He turned me around and we moved a few steps back to the couch where he placed me in a similar position, but with my back arched over the backrest.

"You're going to wish you never made me beg," he groaned. And he dove between my legs, his tongue going straight for center field, tasting me inside out just like he had my mouth. I came almost immediately and with such power that I cried out yet again, the tingles and the ungodly pleasure almost too much for my poor brain to synthesize.

When I started to return from the high, my clit throbbing, he straightened up and pulled me to face him. "I hope you don't think you're done, sweetheart."

I admit, I was fucking exhausted. Even the high of having beat him into submission had lost its energy. But he was determined.

He pulled on a condom and turned me around so I was facing the backrest of the couch. He pulled my back against his chest and whispered in my ear again. "I want to feel every bit of you while I make you come again."

If I thought I had no sexual energy left, I was dead wrong. He plunged into me and surges of pleasure shot across my body yet again. I tried to lay on the backrest of the couch, but he pulled me back. "I need to feel you," he whispered.

Unlike the powerful stature of dominance he usually tried to force on me, this time he fucked me slowly and passionately. Up and down I rode him, his mouth on my neck, and his hands running across my breasts, down my belly, into my sex, and back up again. He truly had all of me. His hands ran over every inch and his lips covered any ground left vacant by his hands. His stead rhythm in and out made me tighten yet again and I clasped his hands in mine, running them over my skin more forcefully.

"Come again for me, Ana. Come again."

And I did, but this time it wasn't the overpowering, painful orgasm I'd had just minutes before. It blissful, sweet, and it stretched out over minutes rather than seconds. Christian came soon after me and he continued pulsating in and out of me as I rode the wave ecstasy through the most sensitive parts of my soul.

When the peaks became hills and then valleys, neither of us dared move. I wanted to pretend that moment could last forever.

He nibbled at my ear and squeezed me close. I wrapped my arms around his and snuggled into him. "God, I'm glad you gave in, Christian. You are fucking amazing."

"Ana?" he breathed

"Yes?" My heart skipped a beat as I anticipated his next words.

"You never unjinxed me."


	20. Chapter 20

My security scan didn't find anything. Not that it mattered; at the moment, I was far too enamored with Christian to notice much of anything. When my computer beeped at me for the fourth time to alert me the scan was complete, I reluctantly pulled myself from his embrace and meandered over to the office.

"Everything's clear," I announced with a sigh. "I don't get it. How is he doing this? My computer should have detected something."

Christian wandered up behind me, still so beautifully naked. He rubbed my back. "I had no idea. Maybe you should call Yvette."

I nodded and reached for my cell phone. It rang before I could unlock the screen. "Yvette!" I exclaimed as I answered. "What's the news? My computer is coming up with nothing I don't get it –

"We found something, Ms. Steele. I'm not entirely sure what it is yet, but there's definitely been some kind of security breach. The bug is so small and deeply integrated into your software, I'm not surprised your standard malware didn't catch it."

"What is it? Can you tie it to Leon?"

"Not yet. We have some more digging to do. But the hacker accidentally left a trail – it's not an obvious trail, but the pattern is noticeable enough - so we're quite certain we'll have it locked down in a few days."

"Good work. Please keep me posted. The sooner we handle this, the better."

"Of course, Ms. Steele."

I hung up the phone. I laughed to myself, wondering what I would have done if I'd accidentally answered on video call.

Christian pulled my hair over my shoulder and kissed my neck. "Everything okay?"

I leaned into him and nodded. "For now. I'm exhausted."

He turned me around and kissed me passionately. "So am I."

I giggled. "We did give each other quite a workout. Good thing, too, because I didn't make it to the gym today."

"I totally blew off my kickboxing instructor. But I've been doing that a lot since I met you."

Just as I was considering engaging in Christian Seduction Round II, my phone rang.

"God damnit," I snapped. It was Kate. "What do you want?"

"What the fuck is going on, Ana? This is the second time we've had an issue with security and, once again, you didn't inform me."

Shit. "I'm sorry, Kate, it just barely happened. I didn't think –

"You called Yvette two hours ago! I had to hear about it from her. Do you know how embarrassing that was?"

"Kate, just go take a Xanex or something, it wasn't intentional. You know how I am – I aim for results first. I didn't think to talk to you."

"I'm starting to think you think this business is a one-woman show. I mean, on top of this, you even hired a new VP without consulting me. When is this going to stop?"

My libido was shot. I stomped into the living room and started putting on my clothes. "I will be sure to inform you next time, Kate. I'm not trying to take over the company, I've just been a little…distracted."

"I noticed. Christian is there, I presume?"

"You can hardly complain about that, Kate. It's not like you're here."

"So I don't get any say in who comes into our apartment?"

"Uh, your boyfriend is in here all the time." This argument was beginning to sound incredibly remedial.

"Whatever. I don't like what you're doing, Ana. I'll just leave that there for the record. I don't like how you're handling the business, I don't like how your handling your sort-of relationship thing with Christian, and I don't like the potential effects this could have on my life."

I gritted my teeth. God, she was so bossy. "Duly noted."

"We're meeting first thing Monday morning. We're going to review the security breach, the new hire, and you're going to promise me to my face that you won't keep me out of the loop."

"Have a great weekend fucking Elliot in New York, Kate. I'll see you Monday."

"Does that mean you'll be at the meeting?"

I could've strangled her right through the phone. "YES! Now leave me alone. We both have other people to attend to."

I hung up and turned to Christian who was now also fully dressed. "Partnership issues?" 

I sighed and sat on the couch. "I don't know what I was thinking going into business with her. She's stubborn and nosy and bitchy and…"

Christian sat by me. "Yeah, she is all those things…but it's nice to have a partner you can rely on. I never had that. Running a business alone is not the best road forward."

I shrugged. "Sure sounds ideal right now."

We sat in silence for a few moments. My head felt a million miles away; so unlike the way I'd felt just a half hour before when Christian and I were entangled in each other. How quickly the tide turns.

"We didn't get a chance to get dessert at the restaurant," Christian finally said. "You hungry?"

I gazed at him wistfully. "I'm not super hungry, but I could eat something sweet. I'm not sure there's much in the fridge."

"What are you in the mood for?"

I frowned. "You choose. I really don't want to make any decisions right now."

He smiled wickedly. "That's more like it. I've got an idea."

He disappeared into the kitchen. I heard him place a pan on the stove and wondered what he was up to. After some thought, I decided that no matter what he was cooking up, my work clothes were way too restrictive for comfort food. I headed to the bedroom and slipped on a pair of fuzzy pajama pants and a t-shirt. _Aaaaaaaaaah. So nice and comfortable._ I started to wonder why I didn't wear this to work every day.

I heard some sizzling and crackling followed by a billow of smoke from the kitchen. I bolted out to find the source of the fire, but Christian was happily cooking away, his pan flaming, and him watching with great amusement.

"Are you trying to burn my apartment down?" I cried.

He turned and smiled. "Oh no. This is one of my specialties. Get out of here. I'll bring it to you when it's done."

I watched for a few more seconds and then slunk back to the bedroom. I cuddled up under the blankets and flipped on the projector screen I'd set up on the wall across from the bed. It took a few moments to find a decent show, but I finally settled on Jimmy Fallon. A little comedy and improvising sounded like the kind of loose-lazy humor that would nicely offset my very stressful life.

By the time Christian entered the room with two heaping bowls of vanilla ice cream, I was laughing heartily. He handed me one bowl and settled in bed next to me with the other.

I looked at my dessert. "What is this? I've never seen it before."

"Bananas foster," he announced proudly. He set his bowl on the bedside table for a moment and peeled off his shirt and pants. He returned to my side in nothing but his boxer briefs. "Try it. It's delicious. My maid taught me how to make it."

I scooped a piece of toasted-sugary banana with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and shoved it in my mouth. It was heavenly. Banana had never tasted so exquisite.

"This is amazing, Christian. How did you make it?"

He smiled through his own massive bite. "Combination of bananas, brown sugar, rum and a few other ingredients. You light the rum on fire and it carmelizes the sugar around the bananas."

"God damn. I'm going to have to hire a cook to make this for me every night."

I devoured the rest of my bowl and cuddled up next to Christian. "I didn't really ask you if I could stay tonight. Do you want me to leave?"

I snorted. "Do I look like I want you to leave?"

"Good. I don't want to leave either."

Sleep came over me heavily and without restraint. Just before I drifted off to sleep, I heard myself mumble. "Why are you so good to me?"

In my dreams, he held me close, kissed me, and whispered, "I've known you a lot longer than you think."

 _ **So I started a network for all my readers where I'm posting my original stories and fanfic. We can interact and talk about my fanfiction, original stories, romance novels in general, and you can share your stories too! It's a free network you can download to your phone with a simple app. I'm the host and there are already lots of members just like you! To join, go to raw-real-romance dot mightybell dot com !**_


	21. Chapter 21

My meeting on Monday with Kate went as well as could be expected. I mean, it was no worse than a government spy interrogation. She wanted information on every tiny detail of every decision I'd made over the previous month. I was dying to tell her to fuck off, but unfortunately I knew she had a right to be mad; I had left her out of too many decisions as of late.

During another one of her long-winded lectures, my phone vibrated with a text message. I almost ignored it, but I was so exceedingly bored I was open to any distraction. I pulled it into my lap and glanced at the screen. It was from an unknown number.

"I want to talk to you about Christian. You free for lunch?"

Ah, fuck. What was this? An ex-girlfriend? A hopeful future girlfriend? I wasn't in the mood for drama.

I tapped out a quick message back. "You've got the wrong number."

My phone buzzed again. I fought my desire to look, but Kate was starting into her rant about my relationship status – perfect timing.

"It's Elliot. I need to talk to you."

What the hell? Elliot too, now? I wanted to roll my eyes so hard…

Instead, I interrupted Kate. "So what is this?" I held up the screen displaying Elliot's message. "You've got Elliot on my case now, Kate? You wonder why I don't let you in on my decisions – this is why. You get involved and then fuck around."

Kate stared curiously at the text. "I have no idea what that's about."

I almost kicked her out of the meeting right then and there. "Oh come on, Kate! Give me a break. There's no way you're not involved in this."

Her look of surprise darkened. "I have never lied to you once in my entire life, Anastasia Steele. I may be overly meticulous, but I do not spin tales to my best friends."

She was right. The girl was painfully honest and as difficult as that was, I knew I could always trust that what came out of those ridiculously judgmental lips was the truth.

I pursed my lips. "I wonder what it's about then?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, but Elliot doesn't talk about Christian a whole lot. It's probably important."

I shot her another look. "I don't need anyone else's criticism of my sex life."

She smirked. "You're talking about Elliot here. He never criticizes anyone about anything. He's so 'live and let live', it's annoying." She sat back in her chair and folded her arms in her lap.

I gazed at her for a long moment. It was clear why she and Elliot were together; he complemented her so well. She'd never survive a moment with someone just like her. Which raised a lot of questions about me and Christian – were we too much alike? Was there any way our arrangement could work? Or would we end up killing each other with the massive size of our egos?

"I'll meet you at Slater's at 12:30pm," I tapped into my phone. Whatever Elliot had to say, he was not Kate. He'd be kind and understanding. And I had to admit: I was curious what it was he wanted to tell me.

After a good two hours of impeccable levels of patience, I finally plowed out of my office and down the elevator to get a breath of fresh air. I walked around the side of the building to an alley and leaned up against the wall.

"This would be a great week to take up smoking," I mumbled to myself.

"That would definitely not be allowable in this arrangement," a low voice huffed.

I threw my arms in the air. "How do you always know where I am? It's starting to creep me out."

Christian flashed a bedazzled smile. "You greatly underestimate your sense of presence. It's hard to miss you when you storm out of the office like an A-bomb." I just grunted. "I take it the meeting with Kate didn't go well?"

I looked away. "It was fine. But I've got to work her into the decision-making process." I turned back to him. "You need to start reporting to her as well as me so she feels like she's in the loop."

His gorgeous face fell. "I don't think that's a good idea."

I tried to curb my annoyance. "It's only fair. She's an equal partner in the business and I don't have time to be sending her updates on every discussion we have. It makes more sense for you to just copy her on emails and give her a brief weekly update."

His jaw set. "She may be an equal partner, but she doesn't oversee sales and marketing. It's not her domain."

I couldn't believe he was arguing with me on this. Not a good standard to set for your first week, buddy.

"And this isn't your decision," I snapped. "She's above your pay grade."

I thought he might pop a capillary. "My business experience outweighs hers by at least five years – and that's assuming you don't count the three businesses I ran while I tried to pay for college. I don't need to be running my department by both parents."

I squared my shoulders and put on my best stern expression. "Christian, I know you miss being the big man on campus, but this is not your rodeo. Your business experience outweighs mine too, but you still answer to me. And you answer to Kate now too."

His face suddenly became stone. "No."

"Excuse me?" I seethed.

"It's my department. My decision. I'm saying no. You'll have to work out something else."

He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his suit jacket and yanked hard. He reluctantly faced me again, just in time to see the steam shoot out my ears. "It's not your department; it's mine." My face was hot with anger. I stepped closer so he could see my insistence loud and clear. "It's not your business; it's mine. If you want to play dominant or alpha or whatever the fuck it's called in the bedroom; that's fine." My fists clenched at my side, but I refused to lose my composure. "But when it comes to my business, I'm the douchebag you answer to. And if I say this is how it is, then This. Is. How. It. Fucking. Is."

I raised my eyebrows to ensure he understood my message. His expression was as stubborn as mine, but he didn't say anything, just bore his eyes into me like daggers as if waiting for me to cave and let him have his way.

I stood strong until he gave me the tiniest, almost invisible, nod of agreement.

"Good," I grumbled. I straightened my fitted black dress and adjusted my heels. Without another word, I brushed past him in the alley, turned the corner, and stormed back into the office building even more angry than I had been when I left.

I got a few looks from other workers in the elevator as it rose to my floor, but nobody dared say anything. I started counting to ten and singing Christina Perry songs in my head to calm myself down.

I entered my floor in a somewhat rational state of mind. I signaled my assistant to grab me a coffee and headed straight for my desk to review some files for an afternoon meeting with supply chain. I only had a few hours until I had to meet Elliot for lunch, and I was already burned out. I had no emotional energy left. And I feared that what Elliot had to say might require a rather large portion of it.


	22. Chapter 22

"Complaints, complaints, and more complaints…" I mumbled to myself. I was only minutes into my weekly check-in on customer service activities – a commitment I made to myself early on in the business to ensure I was always up-to-speed on our performance – and there was nothing positive to be found. I began to wonder if I should fire my entire sales and operations team and start from scratch.

Ha! That would be a great way to put myself – I mean Kate and I – out of business.

I closed my browser and headed to the file cabinet to stow the HR copies of Christian's employment contract. As I poured through the files, I heard the click of the doorknob, followed by a swift slam that caused me to jump. I whirled around to find Christian stalking towards me, his face a deep red, and his scowl prominent.

Of course, my first thought was to berate him for not knocking but before I could get a word in, he shoved the file cabinet drawer shut and shoved his finger in my face. "I don't know if you realize who the fuck you're dealing with here, but I am not accustomed to taking orders from anyone else. You want me to butt out of your business? Fine." He slammed his fist against the filing cabinet. "I'll fall on my fucking sword, but when it comes to me and you," he backed me up until I was flat against the window, his nose almost brushing mine, "I. AM. IN. CHARGE."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shoved his finger across my lips. "I don't want to hear any arguing; this is a deal-breaker. You twisted my balls until I agreed to work for you, now it's time for me to make my demands." He slammed his mouth against mine, kissing me with a fervent passion that made my lip bruise. He pulled away, but only just slightly and I huffed and puffed, doing my best to calm my racing heart. His eyes blazed a dangerous deep blue. "I will have you how I want, whenever I want. Which means that if I want to fuck you on the conference table in the middle of a fucking board meeting, you will let me pound you until you're thanking me for it."

My jaw dropped. He couldn't be serious. I placed my hands on his chest, not unaware of the way his thigh was sneaking it's way between my legs. "Let's be realistic, Christian –

"I don't want to be realistic," he seethed as he ripped my hands from my chest and pinned the back against the window. "I want you when I want you. You agree to it and we fuck right now." He bit my chin, then nipped his way up my jaw to my ear where he executed a sensual massacre that left me bleeding in a very satisfying way. "You say no, and we're done."

"Christian…" I murmured.

His body seemed to calm and his touch became more sensual. His fingers glided down my arms and landed in my cleavage where he pulled at my top. Goddamnit. I didn't want to agree to this outlandish ultimatum, but my body didn't want him to stop pressing up against me, kissing me, touching my skin with a softness his persona seemed incapable of reflecting.

"Last chance, Ana," he said through gritted teeth.

I looked him in the eye and, for a moment, I saw fear. For a just a small second, he was vulnerable. Open. I could see how much he needed this, needed me. But he also needed a certain measure of control and he would never survive if I stole all of it from him. Was it a reasonable compromise? I wasn't sure. I definitely didn't want to be fucked in front of my board of directors, but I had to believe that was an empty threat, the result of the desperation of a caged animal.

Nevertheless, I couldn't help but feel trapped myself. He was so overwhelming. Did I really have room for this on top of everything else I had going on?

I touched his face with my fingers, running them down his stubble to his chin. He closed his eyes and I could feel him harden, even under such a simple touch. Was this what we were destined to be? Trapped and suffocated by each other? Was this what either of us wanted?

A drop of sweat trickled down his neck and I decided there was only one way to find out. "Okay," I whispered.

Without hesitation, he shoved his tongue in my mouth. His hands took over and I let myself fall victim to his starving dominance. My zipper all but fell to its base and Christian tore my dress down to my ankles. He hardly gave me time to get my feet out of it before he had my bra and panties off too.

He stepped back from his hurricane momentarily to admire me. "This is how I like to see you," he growled, his breath deep and heavy, "completely naked, sexy, and a slave to my will."

His eyes seemed to shine as he looked me over, the bulge in his pants growing ever larger. He ran a gentle hand down my neckline to my breasts, then rubbed his thumb lightly over my nipple. The goosebumps spread across my body like a beautiful disease. I wanted to pull him to me, shove him inside me, but I held back. This was his stage and, frankly, I didn't want to think about anything except the mystery of what he might do to me next.

His hand continued down, across my belly, the rested upon my labia which he stroked softly. I released a moan. "You like it when I'm in charge, don't you?" he questioned.

I nodded, lost to the sensations he was perpetuating. But my eyes popped open when I realized he was right: I did enjoy having him in charge. When I finally allowed myself to let go, it was the most titillating, exciting, and carefree sex I'd ever had.

He ran his fingers across my skin for another few seconds before he attacked me like a bulldog. Up against the window I went as he unzipped his pants and slid on a condom. I unbuttoned his shirt about halfway and reached inside to feel his sexy chest. I threw my head back as he shoved inside me. God, he felt so good. And I loved being completely buck naked for him while he remained staunchly clothed in his sexy suit. It was like he was my own little secret and me, his addictive pinnacle of lust, to do with as he wished.

I kissed him deeper as he dug deeper inside me. By the time we both came, our love-making had slowed, and we were taking advantage of every nuance, every sense of contact, every movement. The endorphins raced between us like a soothing wind as our tongues tickled and our throats moaned. I pulled his heated chest as close to me as I could manage; he gripped my ass like a vice. As I soared over the edge of ecstasy, I could have sworn we'd never been so close before.

As our bodies calmed and perspiration dripped to the floor, we didn't dare move. Christian's warm and soothing body juxtaposed with the cold glass on my back was all I needed to realize how much I wanted him in my life. I tilted my head up and kissed him with the kind of emotion I was not accustomed to feeling. He returned the sentiment and ran his hand through my hair.

"Christian?" I whispered.

"What is it, love?" he murmured.

"Don't ever fucking come in here without knocking first."

He chuckled. "Not gonna happen, babe. Not gonna happen."


	23. Chapter 23

It took a few minutes to pull myself together after Christian's tirade – excuse me, tirades. For he mauled me two, three more times before he finally allowed me to get back to my work. I was spent, but upon sitting down at my desk, the world felt bright and fresh. The sunshine angling through the windows while Christian smoothed his shirt and re-worked his tie felt cheerful, relaxing. As if I'd just taken bath and received a foot massage.

I sat back in my chair and admired him as he walked to the door. "Your first sales report is due in a week."

He stopped short, but didn't turn around. "You'll be naked when I deliver it to you, understand?"

I nodded, fully aware that he couldn't see me. He remained stalwart and strode out the door, shutting it behind him.

I smiled to myself as I finished up my own reports, made a few calls, and sent some email updates to Kate. I need to make things right with her again. She and I need to have a girl's night. Like old times.

As I gathered my purse and keys, I resolved to text her after my meeting with Elliott to set up a date. I hopped out the office door, down the elevator, and out to the front of the building. I looked straight up at the sun and soaked up the rare rays peeking out from behind the clouds. The weather spoke to my mood in a very unusual way that day. I grimaced at the storm clouds threatening in the distance and decided I would step out of the office each time the sun came to visit from then on.

You'd think I was on my way to the lollipop factory with the way I was grinning all the way to Slater's. But when I walked into the restaurant and saw the look on Elliott's face, my entire demeanor sank. Clearly, this was not a meeting for exchanging funny stories and silly childhood pictures. With the way Christian bounced from mood to mood, I had always sensed there was a deeper disturbance in his person. I had a feeling I was about to find out what that was.

He smiled as I placed my things on the table and sat down, but it appeared with effort. "Thanks for coming, Ana. I ordered you an iced tea, is that okay?"

I frowned. I loved having iced tea with lunch, but I didn't eat with other people often. Kate must have told him. "Yes, that's great. Thanks."

He took a sip from his beer and concentrated on a stack of creamers in front him. It appeared he was trying to construct something from them.

I tapped my fingers on the table. I cleared my throat. His attention was fixed. "Elliott?"

He didn't even look up. "Yeah?"

"You wanted to talk about Christian?"

His eyes met mine with alarm. "Oh, yeah. Sure. Um, let's order first, though, okay? I'm starving."

I found a waitress and we ordered our sandwiches.

"So what's the deal, Elliott?" I said impatiently. "You're freaking me out a little here and I've already got an afternoon packed with other priorities I'd rather be focused on."

His eyes widened. "Jesus. He wasn't kidding. Okay, well, I just wanted to talk to you about Christian. About your relationship. He's just…he's…" He buried his face in his hand, then scrubbed at his jaw. "He's Christian, okay? He's a mess. He doesn't do well with relationships. But for some reason he's really drawn to you and I don't want to see that fall apart. Kate told me she thinks you're not really all that into him –

"Me and Christian's relationship isn't really any of your business, to be honest." I muttered. "And it's not a relationship. It's an arrangement. A mutually beneficial one."

"That's what I'm worried about. I think it's more than that for him. He's never been like this with a girl before and it just looks like the perfect set-up for him to get fucked over."

I sat back and crossed my arms over my chest. I hadn't expected to get a parental lecture with lunch today.

"Look," he continued, "You don't know a lot about Christian. His past is…jaded. He's never had a real relationship and I honestly don't know if he even knows _how_ to have one. The closest thing he ever had to love was his business and he lost that. He lost his mom, he lost his business, and now…"

"He might lose me? Is that what you're getting at?" It was hard to hide my irritation. I could understand Elliott's concern for his brother but it seemed so unnecessary. This wasn't love. It was just…well, I didn't really know what. It was hot. It was addicting. It was pretty fucked up.

He nodded. "He's in this for real, the same he was in it with GEH. You can't let it fall apart."

I sat forward, my teeth grinding. "Why are you worried about me fucking it up? Why aren't you worried about him fucking it up?"

His concerned demeanor fell away and he blew up. "Because I already know he's going to fuck it up! He's Christian; that's what he does in relationships. It's an absolute, positive guarantee. He's probably already fucked it up and neither of you even have a clue! He doesn't do relationships, Ana. That's what I'm trying to tell you. But he cares about you, enough that when he fucks up, he'll fuck up big. And you can't fuck up too by letting him."

My eyes narrowed. "It is not my job to babysit your brother. If he can't handle a fucking relationship then I'll be done with him. I'm not going to hold his hand while he figures it out."

He chuckled with exasperation. "You don't get it, do you, Ana? He's already doing that for you. You've fought this thing with him every step of the way and he's stood by, patiently waiting for you to get a fucking clue."

I gawked. "He's waited _patiently_? How the hell do you figure that?"

He sighed. "Okay, poor choice of words. He's done it in the only way Christian can. And one of these days, you're going to have to do the same for him. You're going to have forgive him for being a dickheaded, meddling, over-controlling asswipe just the way he's forgiven you for being a commitment-phobic, self-centered, superficial bitch."

I was so close to socking him in the face, it wasn't even funny. But something stopped me. A little voice in the back of my head forced me to stay my hand, and that small little something made all the difference because it made come face-to-face with the one thing I'd been fighting since the day I met Christian: the truth.

"I have to go. I appreciate your concern, Elliott, but I think you're under the impression that this is much deeper than it is."

He grabbed my hand as I stood up to leave. I couldn't avoid the sincerity in his eyes. "You're both fucked up, Ana. Just like everyone else. The difference is, the rest of us recognize it. That's the only way this love shit works." He stood up and met me face-to-face. "If you let him ruin everything – and he will – you'll both be destroyed. Trust me: it won't be just him who suffers."

He left before I could stomp angrily out the door. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the restaurant for a few moments before I finally threw my hands in the air and slumped into the booth. Why the fuck did everyone feel the need to lecture me on relationships? Between Elliott and Kate, I was practically in regular therapy.

The waitress brought our food. I sent Elliott's back, but dug into mine. Even a disturbing conversation couldn't keep me from my favorite sandwich. But it could potentially keep me from Christian. What was wrong with him? What had he endured that made him so crazy? And was I willing to deal with all of it?

And, frankly, why the fuck did I have to? I slammed my sandwich down on my plate because I knew the answer to that question. I didn't have to deal with him and his bullshit, but I would. I would because I couldn't stay away from him. I couldn't imagine not having his angry, bossy face near me every day. I couldn't stand the thought of never being touched by him again. I couldn't even dream of going back to mediocre sexual encounters with my escorts, not even Toby. Why? What was it about Christian that had me so tied up in knots?

"That's how this love shit works," Elliott had said.

 _Love. Ha. That's funny. This isn't love._

 _Is it?_


	24. Chapter 24

I did text Kate after my meeting with Elliot, as I'd committed to. She was more than happy to schedule a little "time off" for the two of us so we made plans for the following Friday night.

The day of our night out, my schedule was packed with meetings. I had done this on purposes – I wanted to be so wound up by the end of the day that an evening of dancing and drunkenness would sound like a heavenly respite. Unfortunately, I didn't know I was going to be over my head before noon even rolled around.

I was in our ten o'clock Board of Directors meeting – the exact meeting during which Christian had threatened to seduce me. Christian was there along with the other VP's, but he behaved himself.

Mostly.

I set at one end of the long conference room table with Kate at the opposite end. Christian was just to my right and he took full advantage of his proximity.

The meeting was brought to order in the usual manner with the President of the BoD going over recent important events and our VP of Finance updating everyone on our books.

I nodded approvingly at the progress we were making – we had almost entirely recovered from the series of mismanaged orders months before and the financials had begun to balance out. I heaved a sigh of relief.

Christian stroked my knee.

I smacked his hand away and he glared. He jotted a note on his notepad and angled it towards me.

 _You run your business. I run you. Would you rather I throw you over the table?_

I fumed. He was perhaps conscionable enough not to ravage me in front of the whole room, but he was clearly prepared to do as he wished.

I shoved his notebook back to him and his hand returned to my knee. I did my best to concentrate as stroked up and down, up and down.

As the VP of Operations stood to provide his update, Christian's hand disappeared and was placed by the feel of a cold pointed object. I gasped at its touch, throwing Christian a gaping gaze.

He just smiled, pulled the object from below the table, and sat it on his notebook. _Fuck_. He'd brought a pointer for his sales presentation.

Luckily, he was up next.

I relaxed a little as he strode confidently to the front of the room and plugged his laptop into the wide-screen monitor. As he took us through the sales figures for the past several months, I was quite certain his stroking and caressing of the pointer was quite intentional.

Not that it mattered. He looked so hot up there with his tailored suit, his sense of perfect self-assurance, and that deep commanding voice…I had to work not to drool.

I shuffled in my seat, doing my best to keep my thoughts focused on his presentation. Sales broke one billion last month. Amazing, taut pecks. The sales funnel has increased a strong 15% since Christian came on board. His long, strong fingers running over my breasts. Plans to hire two more sales executives to fill the additional business. His rock hard cock filling me.

I slammed my hand on the conference table. "Goddamnit, Christian!"

Every eye turned on me. My jaw dropped as I fumbled to save myself from my inappropriate outburst.

"Uh…Goddamnit, Christian…that's…" I swallowed. "Those are really great numbers. I'm just shocked. You're making a big impact here. It's wonderful."

He cocked an eyebrow. "I make a big impact?"

My face burned an even deeper red and I fought to keep my composure. Why did he have to make this so fucking hard? I sat forward and composed myself. "I'm just saying you're doing a fantastic job."

"I'm glad you're pleased with my performance."

I hoped no one else could see the steaming rising from my ears. I simply nodded and gestured for him to continue.

When he finally sat down, I wouldn't even look at him. He knew how flustered he was making me and he was clearly enjoying every moment of it.

And it only got worse. As Kate began her analysis of the future outlook of our market, the cool plastic of Christian's pointer landed on my leg again – this time he didn't waste any time. He ran it up the inside of my thigh and used it to tug at my panties.

I didn't move a muscle, but I could feel his eyes on my as he poked around, no doubt hoping for a reaction. He slid the point underneath my panties and started stroking the skin of my labia. I shut my eyes and used every nuance of self-restraint to resist the chills threatening to surge through my body. Just as he aimed to slide deeper, the door of the conference room flew open and Yvette stepped in.

Her stone expression and urgent posture brought me to attention instantly. "Ms. Steele, Ms. Kavanagh," she nodded at each of us. "A word?"

Christian's pointer was swiftly stowed and both Kate and I excused ourselves.

I led Yvette and Kate to my office. Yvette didn't waste a moment. "We've discovered the source of the security breach a few weeks ago. It took some deep digging and we brought our best analysts in, but we were able to identify an IP address hidden in the data trail."

My eyes widened and Kate stepped forward. "Do you know who the IP address belongs to?"

Yvette shook her head. "Not exactly. We traced it through several levels of code before we were able to identify the address of the culprit. I wrote it down on this piece of paper."

I snatched the piece of paper and ran to my laptop. I typed the address in and waited for the page to load.

I scoffed and shook my head.

"Who is it?" Kate asked.

I swiveled my laptop around so they could see the screen. "The address belongs to none other than Dietrick Turbines."

Kate's eyes narrowed. "So it _is_ Leon."

Yvette stepped between us. "We have to be careful – that is the company associated with the address, but it doesn't necessarily point to Leon as the perpetrator. That is the most likely scenario, but he could easily argue that this was executed by a rogue employee. It will take a little more work to build a case."

I placed both hands wide on the desk and looked Yvette in the eye. "What do you need us to do?"

"Just sit tight for now. I'll keep updating you as progress is made."

Kate and I nodded.

I excused Yvette and turned to Kate. "This is not good. If Leon has records of my contacts, emails, and text messages he could do a lot of damage."

Kate crossed her arms over her chest. "But if he wanted to make a big PR move, why hasn't he done anything yet? He's certainly had enough time. What's his move here?"

I walked in front of my desk and leaned against it. "I don't know. It doesn't make any sense." I turned around and grabbed a bottle of Tylenol from my desk. I popped three out and washed them down with my cold coffee.

Kate placed her hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay, Ana?"

My breathing started to become erratic. I didn't know what was going on. Suddenly the room felt like it was spinning and I didn't know how to stop it. I gripped the edge of the desk and clenched my teeth. "Can you send Christian in here?"

Kate paused. "What about the Board of Directors meeting?"

I turned around, blinking rapidly and sank to the floor. "Please, Kate. Can you finish it for me?"

"Maybe we should call an ambulance –

"Just send Christian in here, for fuck's sake," I barked. "I don't need a doctor."

Her voice softened. "Okay. I'll be right back."

That was the Kate I remembered. Many times in college we had helped each other through difficult essays and stressful finals weeks. We always knew when the other was hitting a breaking point and we always came through for each other. Our relationship may have been broken for a while, but the foundation was still there.

I lay on my back and rested my head against the floor. The spinning was slowing but I still felt strangely light-headed. Sweat dripped from my brow. What the fuck was going on?

I finally relaxed as the doorknob turned and a pair of brown shoes stepped in the door.

 _ **Guess what? "Muddy Heels", which I renamed "Stripped", is up on Kindle Scout and I need votes! All you have to do is:**_

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	25. Chapter 25

"Ana! What happened?" Christian rushed to me,

A wave of relief rushed over me as he pulled me into the safety and security of his arms. I shook my head. "I don't know. I just…I got dizzy, and then…I…I just…" I couldn't think straight. I didn't really even understand what happened.

"Let me go get you a drink of water."

"No. No, please just stay here. Just hold me."

He pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms tighter around me. I could fill a river of calm start to flow through me and I allowed myself to relax a little.

We sat like that for several minutes, Christian's cologne breezing through me, his body protecting me, my world seeming one ounce less chaotic than it had been just ten minutes before.

And then I lost it.

Impossible amounts of tears fell from eyes. Buckets of them. They poured down my cheeks and into my lap, they left damp patches on Christian's pristine and no doubt expensive white shirt. My expelled every ounce of moisture it contained and I felt my head fill with pain that, at first, I couldn't identify.

Christian didn't say anything; he just let me cry. He stroked my hair, pulled a box of Kleenex from my desk, and wiped my eyes even though it made no difference – my cheeks were eternally wet.

When at last the waterworks began to slow and my body allowed itself to release some of the tension it carried, I dared to speak.

"You must think I'm crazy," I said.

"Nobody knows how stressful it is running a company. Not like we do. We put on a good face so no one has to see the crumpled mess we often are. It's an impossible job."

I looked up at him through my puffy pink eyes. "You've broken down like this before?"

He gave me a small smile. "Not exactly like this. But with no less emotion."

I looked at him curiously.

"Men usually deal with things a little differently. If I could've curled up in a ball and cried, I certainly would have."

I snorted. "It's not exactly a pretty sight."

He pulled a hair from my face. "It is to me."

I shook my head and stared at my hands. "Now you're just patronizing me."

He ran a thumb across my cheek to catch a few more tears. "I'm not. I know what you're feeling – you have no idea how nice it is to know that someone else in this world understands." He stopped short. "It sounds cheesy as fuck, but it's true."

I buried my face in his chest. "In that case, can you tell me what the fuck is going on? What's happening to me? I've never done this before."

He stroked my arm. "It's stress. Simple as that. You carry the world on the shoulders in this job. At some point, something has to break. There's no way around it."

"So I'm fucked?"

He laughed. "No. You deal with it, figure out when you stopped taking care of yourself and what you need to change, and then you move on until it happens again."

"Well, aren't you just a fucking psychologist today?"

"I've been down this road a few times before. A psychologist is very helpful, actually. I'd highly recommend it."

I glanced up at him; he was dead serious.

"What did Yvette say?"

I wiped my nose with a kleenex. "We think we know who'd behind the hack."

Christian stiffened. "And?"

"It's Leon. But we don't have enough evidence. She has to keep looking. I've got to make sure she briefs the legal department, now that I think about it. They can at least start drafting some documentation while we work out the details."

"How do you know it's Leon."

"Yvette's team tracked down a data trail that was linked to an email address." I sighed. "Can we not talk about this right now? It's sort of what caused this wreck you're holding in your arms right now."

He relaxed and leaned against the desk. "Sure." He paused. "Can I get you anything? Do you want to just sit here?"

"Is that okay?"

"I guess. I don't think the Board needs me anymore. They might need you, though."

I groaned. "I can't go back in there looking like this."

"Why don't I take you home?"

Just then the door cracked open and Kate walked in. "Ana? You okay?"

I sat up. "I'm fine. Just needed to blow off some steam I guess." I could still feel the fog of stress around me. "Did the board meeting go okay?"

She shrugged. "Nothing exciting, just the usual. I couldn't come up with a really good reason for your sudden absence so I told everyone you were puking."

My eyes widened. "Kate! What if they all think I'm pregnant?"

"They won't think that. I told them it was a bug."

"Kate, you are the worst liar in the whole world. I officially fire you from making up excuses for me." I buried my face in my hands.

Kate walked up to us. "Are you okay, Ana? Do you want to cancel tonight?"

Christian raised an eyebrow at me but I ignored him. "No. We haven't had a girls' night in ages. I'm not cancelling just because I'm a whimpy little bitch."

"Ana," Christian urged.

I could already feel bursting anger building within me. This was not the time to tell me what to do!

"You need to take of yourself," he continued. "I'll get you home. You can take a bubble bath, put on some sweat pants, maybe eat some ice cream, and we can watch Gilmore Girls or something."

My jaw dropped. "What the fuck did those therapists _do_ to you?"

He laughed. "I have a sister. I know what girls do to take a load off."

I noticed Kate was watching us with deep interest. "I think he's right, Ana. It's been a stressful day – a stressful few months, actually – we can do our girls' night tomorrow." Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. "Go with Christian. It sounds like he'll take good care of you."

I had to fight the urge not to roll my eyes at her; this was not a good time for her to start getting ideas. I considered rejecting both of them and going out on my own just to make a point, but I was far too exhausted.

I fell back against Christian's chest and tried to ignore the smile spreading across Kate's face.

"Fine," I relented. "You guys are bossy brats, you know that?"

"We just know how to take advantage of your moment of weakness," Kate teased. She winked at Christian.

"Come on, Ms. Steele. Let's get you home."

Half an hour later, I was back at my apartment standing buck naked in the bathroom. The room filled with steam as the bathtub tap ran full blast and I dipped my toe in to test the water temperature.

It was perfect.

I settled my aching muscles inside the porcelain door to heaven and, for the first time in weeks, completely let myself go. It. Felt. Amazing. I barely noticed when Christian returned a few minutes later with two glasses of wine.

"Does it help?" he asked.

I nodded. "I still hate that fact that I bawled like a baby for no reason, but it's hard to give a flying fuck right now." I flicked a couple of bubbles and watched them hop through the air to the other side of the tub.

"It wasn't for no reason. Why are you so hard on yourself? You work hard. You give everything you have to that company. You should give yourself more credit." He handed me one of the wine glasses.

"You've never met my dad…"

He sipped in silence. "How's the water?"

"Just about perfect." I slipped my toe out from underneath the bubbles and the turn the tap off.

Christian plugged his phone into the Bluetooth speaker by the sink and turned on some soft tune.

"Oh Gaaaaaaawwwwd…." I moaned.

My eyes shut and allowed myself to feel nothing but massage of the hot water, just seething enough to give my skin a soothing burn, but not to the point of discomfort. I hummed along to the music.

I don't know how much time passed – I may have even fallen asleep – but when I opened my eyes again, Christian was returning to the bathroom, his wine glass empty.

"You ready to get out yet?" he asked.

"No," I said as I looked him over. "But I think it's about time for you to get in."

He smiled. "I'm not going to ruin your moment of ecstasy by groping you."

"Who said anything about groping?"

His lips flattened. "You clearly underestimate your appeal."

I stuck out my lower lip. "Well maybe I wouldn't mind a little groping."

"Not tonight. You need to relax. You need a break."

"I can think of a few things we could do that would be _very_ relaxing."

He huffed. "I'm not getting in that bathtub."

I looked away. "Fine. I don't need you." I reached underneath the bubbles and starting touching myself, my mouth opening and closing with the sighs and moans that came almost immediately – apparently stress made me horny.

It didn't take long for an orgasm to begin to build. I stroked faster, imagining Christian in the bathtub with me, pushing his hard body up against mine, his minty breath on my mouth, his sweaty chest under my fingers.

I glanced up at him – I was transfixed. He stared at me with a new intensity as he unbuttoned his pants and pulled his cock between his fingers. Up and down, he rubbed, up and down, his eyes never leaving mine.

I wanted to touch him, to feel him, to wrap my mouth around him. I imagined all those things in a million different ways as my body swayed under the hot water, the pressure building. He braced his hand against the counter, his jeans still sagging just below his waist, and rubbed himself harder. I followed suit.

I adjusted my position so I could bore my other finger inside me – god, I wanted that to be his dick instead, but I settled for my bird's eye view; I never realized how delicious it looked when it wasn't buried inside me. With Christian's darkening gaze hovering over it, devouring me with intensity.

He doubled over and every muscle in his body tensed with his orgasm. I followed, watching, staring, eating up every inch of him that I could see and imagining how lucky I was to have that body inside me whenever I wanted. Water sloshed over the edge of the tub as I came and my muscles screamed with the effort.

As the intensity began to dissipate, I determined that I would have him – every bit of him – that night. No matter how tired, no matter how sore, no matter how stressed I was, I was going to lick, suck, and run my hands over every inch of him. He was going to be mine. I was going to own him.

And I wasn't going to let him argue about it.


	26. Chapter 26

Christian helped me out of the bathtub, but he didn't let me get far. His fingers slipped across my wet body, running over the curves of my back, my waist, my thighs. I explored his as well, tracing the lines of his pecks, running over his biceps, stroking the hard straight lines of his pelvis.

We just touched. Felt each other. Explored each other, as if for the first time. Despite my aggressive vitality after rubbing one out to the tune of Christian's dong, my energy was depleting quickly. I was exhausted and unsure I had the energy for another rendezvous with him. Nevertheless, I wanted to melt into him, become part of him, rub every inch of my skin against his.

I shut my eyes and focused in his index finger trailing down the curve of my hip. I leaned my head on his chest and let my mind wander and he turned circles to my inner thigh, then changed directions and wandered back around to my back thigh, then came back again. Back and forth, back and forth….

I felt his arms wrap around me and pull me back on my feet. I had faltered, fallen asleep standing there against his chest.

"Let's get you to bed, CEO Ana," he whispered. He whisked me off my feet like a feather and plopped me on my bed.

I stretched my arms out and he pulled the covers overtop of me. I opened my mouth to request he join me, but he beat me to it, pulling himself into bed next to me huddling me against him so our bodies warmed and soothed each other. I let myself sink into the mattress, my head against his heart, my arm draped across him so that my hand rested comfortably on his solid upper arm.

"When I had GEH, I thought I was on top of the world. I had finally made it: accomplished everything I had set out to do since the age of sixteen and in half the time that most people accomplish it."

I mumbled encouragingly and nestled my face further into his chest hair.

"I was made to work. To build things. To have power over a world with strict schedules and discipline, where saying one wrong word could send your entire company crashing to the ground. It challenged me, kept me constantly on my toes, made me stretch and think and act with more intensity than I ever had before."

"Mmmmmmmm…" I replied.

"The only thing that had brought me that level of satisfaction before GEH was kickboxing. Perfect form, 200% effort, mind over matter, dedication before pain…but even then, it wasn't quite the addiction I had running a multi-billion dollar company."

I smirked lazily. "I understand the sentiment."

He kissed me head. "I know." He paused and I almost fell asleep, but then he continued. I listened to the best of my ability, but his voice was fuzzy. "I met this girl one day, soon after the whole mess with my CFO started falling apart. She was nice – so nice. Sweet as pie. Adorable. She could handle my sharp words, my sometimes undeserved criticisms, my ever-changing moods, and she always responded with confident empathy."

I turned over and wrapped his arms around me from behind. He kicked his leg over mine.

"She was a God-send. Everything in my life was falling apart. The very thing that had brought peace and meaning and a future to my sad, fucked-up, piece of shit life." The words ejected from his mouth like poison, coming to an abrupt stop.

I turned over to look him in the eye. I'd never seen him so passionate, so angry, so disgusted. In fact, I knew very little about him at all. I grazed my fingers across his cheek, wondering to myself what horrible events colored his childhood that would make him feel this way about himself. And why had it never occurred to me to even attempt to learn more about him? To dig out those demons and help him fight them? Our relationship had been almost categorically one-sided. Why was I so selfish?

It was hard not to feel regretful and a touch guilty as we stared into each other's eyes, those words of self-loathing still on the tip of his tongue. I opened my mouth to comfort him but he shushed me by placing his fingers softly on my lips and then kissing them.

"You don't have to comfort me or make me feel better," he murmured. "This is me. I make no apologies for it, and it's probably about time you got a sense of what you're in for."

I considered his words, unsure how to proceed. He seemed so calm telling his story, so I encouraged him to continue. "So what happened with this girl?"

He kissed me again and cuddled up closer. "She gave me everything I needed. She talked me through every breakdown, kept me from beating the living shit out of that douchebag Abernathy, let me fuck her whenever I wanted, however I wanted." He paused again. This time I didn't say anything. "She introduced me to BDSM – she's the reason I built that room in my apartment."

I couldn't help feel a twinge of jealousy. Okay, it was a lot more than a twinge. It was a dagger. This girl was clearly nothing like me, but she was everything he needed, everything he wanted. What the fuck good was I to him? I'd never even had the decency to ask him about his own life, much less be there for him when it was falling apart. Hell, his life could be falling apart right now and I wouldn't have a clue. I inwardly cursed myself, wondering why the hell he was telling me this story in the first place. Didn't he know it was poor form to tell your girlfriend all about how awesome your ex-girlfriend was?

Fuck buddy, girlfriend…whatever we were…

He sighed deeply. "I didn't tell anyone about her. She lived in complete obscurity – I'm sure if she told anyone now that she had dated me, they wouldn't believe her. I kept it all under wraps, completely under the radar. You could say I was kind of a dick."

I nodded. "So what happened?" I managed through gritted teeth.

"Well, the company went to shit, I barely dodged prison, and started working as an escort to try to maintain some kind of sense of self – making money was my life – while also keeping myself busy."

"And she was okay with that?"

"Of course she was. She supported all of my decisions. She did what I wanted, both in and out of the bedroom."

I clenched my eyes shut and wished myself asleep, but my body was hopelessly awake again.

"But then I got this special call – an event. With a particularly affluent and well-known bachelorette in Seattle."

My ears perked up.

"I knew from the get-go that she was a friend of the girlfriend of that idiot brother of mine, which meant the evening was going to be either hopelessly boring or hopelessly frustrating. The latter turned out to be true. She annoyed me, pissed me off, made it impossible to do anything right, wouldn't listen to a goddamn word I said."

I waited with bated breath for him to continue.

"I broke up with my girlfriend the next day."

I turned to look at him again, confusion etched in my eyes.

He ran his fingers through my hair. "There's a reason I loved GEH. There's a reason I was addicted to it. I thought life could never get better than what I had there. Just like I once thought kickboxing was all the fulfillment I ever needed, I soon learned I was wrong about GEH too. It was a thimble in comparison to what was coming."

I reached up and curled my fingers in his hair, tears at the edge of my eyes. What was he trying to say? Was he confessing he had deeper feelings for me? And why was he telling me now?

"You challenge me. You fight against me. You make me work my ass off to say the right thing at the right time under the right circumstances. You make me feel like if I fuck up the tiniest thing, everything we've had, every moment might crash down around me just like GEH once did." He pulled himself on top of me. "I need that, Ana. Maybe that girlfriend was what I needed at the time, but with you, I have the world under my fingers just like I did as a powerful CEO except…" He shook his head. "Except…it's more powerful. It's deeper. It's so, so much more meaningful." He sighed. "It's overwhelming."

He gripped my hair in his hands, his intensity building. "I have so much more to lose with you than I ever did with GEH." He leaned down so his lips dragged against the edge of my ear. "And it's exhilarating as fuck."

He licked my ear. He bit my ear. He took tiny nips of my skin all the way along my jawline until he reached my lips. But before he could kiss me, I threw all my weight into him. He fell from me and landed beside me on the bed. I clamored on top, my naked body writhing, my skin burning, my heart pounding with power.

His eyes were wide and hungry.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked as I ground my vagina against his dick, which grew ever harder. I wasn't going to let him fuck around and act like a child. If he loved me, he was going to say it.

"I want you," he seethed.

I smacked him across the face - hard, fully aware that we had never wandered down this sexual road before. But I felt completely out of control and entirely in control all at the same time. I felt perfect and horrid, validated and guilty all at the same time. "That's not what you want to say!" I growled. I began to shake. "Fucking say it."

He leaned up on his elbows and bit my jaw. "I want to fuck you. Now. Get off me so I can throw you over the bed."

I shoved him down and smacked him again, the tears overflowing now. "Say it, goddamnit. Say it."

I had no idea what had come over me but I was powerless to stop it. Whatever evil spirit had possessed me, I knew in that moment that I would beat Christian black and blue if it meant getting him to say those three words I'd fought my entire life to hear just once. From anyone.

He sat up again and pulled my face gently in his hands, his entire demeanor softening, as if seeing me for the first time.

My breath was heavy and erratic, my anger pulsating within me, every emotion threatening to relieve itself violently against him, to abuse him for making me wait, for pretending he didn't care when he did.

He wiped my tears with his thumbs, and his voice shook as he spoke. "I fucking love you, Anastasia Steele."

 **If you like** _ **Hard Blunt Steele**_ **…then you'll love my first full-length novel which has officially been published!** _ **Stripped**_ **is available NOW on Amazon. You can either copy this link into your browser without the spaces:**

 **www . amazon dot com /Stripped-Muddy-Heels-Jayne-Dixon-ebook/dp/B01KXXYCSO**

 **Or go to Amazon and type "Stripped Muddy Heels." It will come up first!**


	27. Chapter 27

Exhausted as was, beyond livid as I was before he spoke those words, I slammed my pussy over his cock as if I hadn't gotten laid for a year. I had worked so hard, fought all my life for someone to…give me everything. All of him. Every doubt and fear. Every expectation or regret. Perhaps Christian had been trying to tell me he was ready for that for months, but I hadn't heard it. Not until he made it abundantly clear.

He growled and gripped my lower back, plowing into me deeply and roughly. I pulled him up so he was sitting under me and bit into his shoulders, his neck, his chin. I wanted to taste all of him, mark him as mine. He wasn't allowed anywhere else or with anyone else from then on.

He was mine.

I felt the pressure inside my groin build again and I built his lip hard as I came, breaking through flesh as the pinnacle of the moment roared through me like a tidal wave. He cried out, but it was hard to tell if it was in pain or ecstasy. I didn't really care. He was mine now.

When the euphoria began to wear off, my energy depleted very quickly. I fell to the mattress, completely unable to hold myself on top of him anymore. He laid down beside me and pulled my back to him.

His strong arms wrapped around me, his knees tucked behind mine, and his lips on my neck, I drifted away.

My dreams haunted me that night, more than they ever had before. I was never one to dream much, and I very rarely had nightmares, but the Sandman seemed to have something to say to me that night.

What it was, I couldn't tell.

 _Images of me and Christian, of work, of love making, of arguments and hackers and galas and BDSM rooms swirled into an intense fog of confusion. I ran from scene to scene, becoming more lost with every step. At last, I found my way to my office and the maddening flashing lights finally faded, the fog dissipated, and I fell into my chair, upset and fatigued._

 _The door handle twisted and I sat up straight, waiting in terror for my father to walk through the door. Instead, in walked Christian, beautiful as sunlight, calm as the dead of night. He sauntered to me quietly and I watched him with suspicion. He came around behind my chair, placed his hands on my shoulders, and massaged me._

" _Oh, Ana," he mumbled. "Am I real? Is this really what you think it is?"_

 _He leaned down so his lips brushed my ear. "You know you've been fooled before."_

 _I gripped the edge of the desk. "This is different. I fought this. I made you prove it to me."_

" _Maybe. Or maybe I'm just much more clever than the others. Isn't that why you started breaking it off as soon as things got serious? As soon as a man started considering the L-word?"_

" _At first, I was the one who got burned. It was time to do the burning. But eventually even that gets old."_

 _He chuckled. "Male escorts are certainly an acceptable solution."_

" _They worked. I didn't have to deal with any of it."_

" _Poor Ana. First the victim, then the victor. Then you left the game altogether."_

" _Until you ruined it." I turned up to look at him._

" _I dragged you back in, that's for sure. And now you're wondering if it was worth it. Or have you simply started the cycle from the beginning again?" His eyes had pity in them._

 _I ran a finger through his hair. "You fought for me. You said you loved me. Do I really need more proof?"_

 _He leaned in a kissed me softly on the mouth, wrapping his lips in mine, moving with me like a lover does. He pulled away. "It's not about proof," he whispered. He kissed my nose, my cheek, my chin. "It's about what you feel."_

 _I tried to resist the tingles running down my arms. "Feelings can be wrong."_

 _He kissed his way down my neck, his hangs holding him up on either side of my chair. "Feelings can be right too."_

 _I placed my hands on his head and guided him down my chest to the opening in my button up shirt. He reached up to pull open the buttons, and then unleashed his tongue on my breast._

" _Mmmmmmmmmm…" I moaned, sinking further into the chair. I grabbed his crotch and massaged the erect mass underneath._

 _He returned to me ear. "You like this?"_

" _Don't stop."_

 _He went back to work and began unbuttoning my dress pants as his tongue rolled over my nipple. I moved my hands to his chest. "This will all be over soon, you know," he said between heated breaths._

 _I ran my hands up his neck to his face and pushed him lower, lower._

 _He glanced up at me just before his kisses passed below my belly. "When you find out that I'm impossible to love."_

My eyes flew open, my chest heaving, my heart racing. Christian's arm was still laying across my chest, the rest of his body splayed out on the bed belly-side down. I looked around and waited for my brain to return back from my nightmare.

Impossible to love…why did that scare me? I'd already been told that by several people who knew him well. But I couldn't shake the panic the dream had triggered.

I got out of bed, walked into the bathroom, and splashed water on my face. Reality started to sink back in.

"This is why I never dream," I muttered. I placed my hands on either side of the sink and stared at myself in the mirror. I was Ana. I was still the same, CEO Ana. Nothing was different, I was just trying the commitment things again. No reason to panic. Of course, it would be difficult at first, but there was no reason to think Christian was anything like my exes.

He was different. He was strong, independent. He had his shit together. He wanted me for me, not because he was lonely or needed another body in his bed. He loved me.

And I loved him.

I returned to the bed and watched him sleep, so peaceful and stressless. Always such hurricane once he woke up, but that's part of the reason I loved him. He was so ambitious, such a control freak, so much like me in so many ways. But with this strange ability to keep me from running myself off the edge of a cliff.

I laughed to myself and climbed into bed next to him. I dragged a finger up his arm and back again.

My phone chirped. What the hell? I glanced at my clock – 4am. I leaned over to check my phone – if it was Kate, I was going to lambast the bitch.

The message was from Yvette: "The hack went deeper than we thought. Call me ASAP. It's still Leon, but…"

I unlocked my screen to see the whole message.

"it goes deeper. It appears the source of the hack is Christian Grey."


	28. Chapter 28

I was gone before Christian woke up the next morning. I couldn't believe what Yvette had said – couldn't even fathom it. She had to be mistaken. Someone was just making it look like Christian was the cause of the hack. Right?

I walked into the office with a face of stone. Christian was becoming so much more to me than I had ever imagined. I was beginning to think he might be the only person capable of nailing me down to an actual real relationship. I mean, I hadn't admitted to loving a man for years. How could Yvette even pretend to take that from me?

I tried to forget the dream I'd had the night before.

"… _I'm impossible to love…"_

It had to be a coincidence, but part of me couldn't shake the feeling that the dream was some sort of premonition.

I shoved my thoughts aside as I made my way through the lobby to the elevator, up the elevator, and entered the foyer of Steele-Cavanagh Engineering Corp. Nobody had arrived yet – not even my overzealous secretary – so I flicked the lights on and headed straight for my office.

I was surprised to find Kate there along with Yvette and a few members of the security team. A few of them continued pouring through my computer, making notes on another laptop, while others appeared to be making phone calls. Kate and Yvette both gave me a worried look as I approached them.

"Okay," I said, placing my briefcase on the floor by the desk, "Give me what you got."

Yvette took me around the desk where her team was working. One of the leads, Mark – who, I'm not gonna lie, would've made an excellent fuck buddy under different circumstances – walked me through every minute detail of our digital security system, how they found the hack, and how they identified the perpetrator. By the time he finished the tour, my brain was fried, and my heart was destroyed. Because it was clear: Christian was at the heart of the breech.

Kate took my hand and walked me out of the building and down to our favorite breakfast joint. She ordered my favorite omelet, and waited patiently for me to come out of my shock coma. We sat there in silence for a good twenty minutes. Even after my food came, I could hardly stand to look at it.

"He's a good guy," I finally said.

Kate chewed on her toast. "Even good guys screw up sometimes."

I slammed my fists on the table. "This is more than a screw-up, Kate! He fucked with my business! After I told him, time and time again how important to me it was. How it was my life. How I wasn't going to let him distract from it…" I covered my face with my hands.

"Let's think this through, okay? Start eating, you're going to need your strength."

I shot her a death look. There was no way my stomach was going to accept any of this at the moment.

"Okay, so Mark said that the original hack was from an email address tied to Christian's old business, correct?"

My chest ached at the thought, but I nodded my head.

"From there, the access was passed over to what appears to be an employee at Dietrick Turbines, although we think that was just a cover. We don't know what Leon plans to do with what he found, but we know he had access to everything for a period of time – your calendar, contacts, sensitive Human Resources information, maybe even some financials."

I groaned. "We've already been through this. Why are we rehashing it. Do you get pleasure out of torturing me?"

Kate placed her hand on my arm. The gesture startled me – she'd never been good at comforting. "What if he was framed? Could Leon have done this on purpose? He did run into you guys at the charity event. He knew you were connected somehow."

I shook my head. "No way. Do you see how tight our security is? Christian is ten times as thorough. I doubt the greatest hacker on earth could figure out how to impersonate him."

Kate sat back. "He is a bit insane when it comes to control."

I nodded. "Exactly. Leon's not smart enough. Or rich enough."

She folded her arms over her chest. "What if Christian did this before you two met – once it started, he was powerless to stop it?" 

I ground my teeth and glared. "Then he should have fucking told me. And he should've burned down fucking Dietrick Turbines before they had a chance to get anything." I shoved my plate away so it clinked against the wall. "Why the fuck are you defending him, Kate? This is unforgiveable. It's betrayal. It's fucking horrific and you're sitting here trying to explain it away. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Kate's eyes widened at my outburst. "I see how happy he makes you, Ana. I just don't want to see –

"Don't pretend like this is about you taking care of me. You've never given a shit about me. You want to see crazy fuck-happy Ana finally settle down so you can stop worrying about the PR nightmare I might create with my sex buddies. Well, I've had it, Kate. Don't you fucking dare defend him again or I will take my half of the company and walk."

Kate shrunk. "Ana. Come on, please. Don't do this. I'm trying to help."

"LIKE FUCK YOU ARE."

I grabbed my purse and stormed out. I went straight to the office, called my car, and fumed all the way home. I was going to deal with this shit now.

We pulled up a few minutes later, my resolve still unbending. I ploughed through the lobby and headed up to my apartment like a storm cloud. When I walked in the door, I was seeing red.

The smell of pancakes and eggs greeted me, but Christian wasn't in the kitchen. I placed my purse on the counter and walked through the living room.

"Is that you, Ana?" I heard him call from the bedroom. "I made some breakfast, figured you probably got called in for some emergency at the office, I'll be ready soon –

He stopped short when he saw me enter the bedroom. He had his dress pants and belt on along with his shirt half-buttoned. Our relationship, my feelings for him, his sexiness – none of it even registered. All feeling for him was gone.

I jabbed my finger out the door. "OUT. NOW."

His face filled with concern which pissed me off even more. "What's wrong, Ana? What happened?"

"Don't even talk to me right now. Get the fuck out of my apartment."

He stared long and hard. His eyes narrowed. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on. It's Kate again, isn't it? What did she tell you?" He stepped towards me. 

"Do not come any closer, jackass." My face was flaming. "You will leave now. I don't give a fuck if you take your things. I don't want to see you again until you have to face me in court and explain why the fuck you got in bed with my enemy."

The blood drained from his face and he dropped his tie. "Ana. Ana, no, you have to understand. It's not what you think. Let me explain."

"OUT!" I was practically screaming. "I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN."

Every muscle in his face flexed as he reached to the bedside table to grab his phone. He looked livid, but his eyes looked soft. I could've sworn I saw water pool at the edges. "At least let me –

"OUT."

He walked up to where I stood at the doorway. I refused to move – he'd have to shove me to get by. Never again would I adjust for his sake. Never again would I give him even an inch to take advantage.

He stood close for a moment, his breath heavy, his stance defeated. He raised his hand to touch my face, but I flinched. He stopped mid-air, but still wouldn't leave. In my mind, I imagined tearing him apart, beating the living fuck out of him, giving him a physical sense of how I felt on the inside.

He searched my eyes, but I didn't dare look back. I couldn't see what he felt, I couldn't handle even a sliver of his pain. I couldn't allow that weakness, not in that moment.

His hand fell to his side. With twitch of his neck, he breathed a frustrated sigh of defeat, and tore out of the apartment.

The eggs still crackled in the background, and I could smell the burning pancakes. The microwave beeped a few times, I had no idea why. As the chorus of reminders of Christian's love echoed in my mind, I slid down the doorjam to the floor. Despite my anger, despite the fact that he was the one who destroyed us, despite the fact that I had sworn I'd never let a man get close enough to do such a thing to me, when I watched the love of my life walk out that apartment door, something in me broke.


	29. Chapter 29

I was gonna need prozac. Or percocet. Or maybe gin. Lots and lots of gin.

I cycled through all the psychotropic drugs I could take to convince myself to get up off the floor and maybe take the burning eggs off the burner, or check the microwave, or scrape the charred lumps that were once pancakes from the frying pan.

Eventually, I stood up robotically and walked to the kitchen as if in a dream. Somehow the burned food made it to the trash, the dishes landed in the sink, and the door and windows opened to air out the stink.

Somehow I ended up at work again. Somehow I turned on my computer and pulled up our financial reports. Somehow I made it through the entire day and back home again. Somehow I got up the next morning to do it all over again.

And somehow, Christian showed up at my office Monday morning after two days of work with almost no breaks and hardly a minute of sleep.

I sat at my desk clicking mindlessly through HR files when he walked in, tailored suit, five o'clock shadow, red, swollen eyes - the whole package. My depression was so deep, I couldn't even find an emotion buried within the abyss to don for the occasion. I glanced up at him, felt a sharp pain in my chest, and returned to my brain-numbing work.

"Are you going to ignore me, now?" he asked. "I gave you a day to cool down, but I'm still your employee. We can be adults about this."

I stared at him blankly. "What did you just say you were? An employee?" I stared into space. "An adult?"

He heaved a sigh. "We broke up, but you didn't fire me."

I smacked my lips and clicked open a few more useless files. "I'm not going to do the math for you, Mr. Grey, but…"

He slammed his palms on my desk. "This is not happening. I've lost you. This is all I have left of you. I'm not letting you take it away from me."

I stood and spoke formally, quietly. "Christian Grey, you have been found guilty of hacking into the computer system of the company that employs you. Under what circumstances would you ever allow such an employee to remain on staff if this was your company?"

He said nothing but glared at me. "I can explain."

"I don't believe our HR manual allows for a trial." I closed my eyes. "Guilty. Gone."

"You can't do this, Ana. I'll -

"This is not Grey Enterprise Holdings." I walked around the desk. "And if it were, you'd be fired from it, too. Because you don't put up with people who fuck with your business. Do you?" I stood in front of him, my hands on my hips, still stuck in a world that had lost all its color.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Kate burst through the door. "Ana, you have to see this." She stopped short when she saw Christian.

I nodded weakly at the door. "He was just leaving."

Kate shook her head. "No. This involves him, too."

I normally would've been pissed off at such a cataclysmic dismissal of the shitstorm Christian had brought upon us, but my anger coiffures were beyond empty.

Kate approached us, a magazine on display before her. "Leon made his move."

My eyes widened as I read the headline of the well-known, worldwide "Persons" magazine blaring in front of me:

"Grey & Steele: Who's on Top?"

The subhead read: "Insider text messages reveal the depraved affair and business collusion of the business world's top two masterminds."

A spark of pride shot through me at being called one of the business world's masterminds, but it was short-lived. Kate opened the magazine to the article which had screenshots - actual screenshots - of some of me and Christian's sexting conversations.

 _Ana: Oh God, baby. You're making me hot. I'm touching myself._

 _Christian: Tie your ankles together and stick out your tits._

 _Ana: I'm doing it baby. I'm licking your dick while I'm at it._

 _Christian: How do I taste?_

 _Ana: So good. I like it when I get to blow you on my desk._

 _Christian: I'm tying your hands behind the chair._

 _Ana: Hurry up, I want you in my mouth again._

 _Christian: Your hands and ankles are tied, your tits and pussy on display, just the way I like it._

 _Ana: Brett from Legal is here. He's watching me splayed out before you like a sex doll._

 _Christian: Good. Whatever makes you hot, baby._

 _Ana: I'm starting to come, but I want your tongue on my clit._

 _Christian: Only if you're good. Are you going to be good and do as I ask?_

 _Ana: Yes._

 _Christian: Good. Split your legs._

There were pages of them. They were dirty. Very, very, very, very dirty. Like the kind of stuff that would make a Pin-Up girl blush. And even worse, they were real.

I caught Kate looking at me with a raised eyebrow. I grabbed the magazine and threw it on the floor. "Brett wasn't really there, Kate. It's sexting. It's pretend."

"I'm not judging, Ana, this is pretty light compared to me and Elliott, but it doesn't matter. The text says he was there. Even if he denies it, public opinion is very unforgiving."

I grabbed the magazine from the floor. "How the hell did he get this? Did he hack my phone, too?"

"Yes." I looked up to see that Yvette had joined us. "Your phone backs up to your computer. That includes text messages. It's one of the reason I advised you early on to -

"I don't give a damn what you advised," I snapped. Immediately, I faltered. "How are we going to fix this? This is...this is…"

Kate took the magazine from me. "We have a meeting with PR and legal in twenty minutes to decide how to respond."

I hung my head in my hands. "Oh my God, this couldn't get any more humiliating. So now I get to sit in a room while fifteen people discuss the nature of my sexual indiscretions?"

Kate sighed. "I don't see any other way, Ana. The sooner we get on top of this, the better. I'll be right there with you. And Christian has to take a hit of the humiliation too."

I scathed her with my gaze. "Christian isn't walking in there as an owner of the company."

Kate placed a hand on each of my shoulders. "I know, Ana. Believe me, I know. Remember: this is my company, too. I know this sucks donkey balls for you, but _we are in this together_."

I ran my hand over my face. "Who has a Xanax? I need one about five minutes ago."

Kate pursed her lips. "I've got one at home. You can have it later. In the meantime, you'll be okay. We'll figure this out."

"This could ruin me, Kate. This could be it. Everything we've worked for…"

"This is not it. We're not going to let Leon win with trash like this. He's just pissed off because his sex life consists of nothing more than the occasional missionary-style fuck to the soundtrack of his oxygen tank. We've got smart people and a great team who've handled much worse. He _will_ go down for this."

I narrowed my eyes. "You forget that one of the culprits is in this goddamn room with us now." It was then that I realized that Christian had not said a word since Kate had entered the room with the bad news. I looked over at him to find him still as stone, not a readable expression to be found anywhere on his person. "I guess I can't fire you yet," I murmured.

He still didn't move. "I will fix this," he said to no one in particular. "I won't watch this happen again. Not to someone…" He drifted off, his eyes concentrated fiercely on the corner of my desk.

"You'll need to be in this meeting too," said Kate.

Christian nodded.

Yvette clapped her hands together. "Guys. Come on. We need to snap out of the shock here. This is not a time to lose it, it's a time to act. Now get your heads out of your asses and let's go figure out how to handle this."

Yvette and Kate walked straight out the door, but Christian and I lingered. When they were out of earshot, he turned to me. "This is not what I wanted. This is not how this was supposed to go down. I will fix it, Ana. I will fix it."

A weird sense of calm mixed with foreboding and a touch of pity came over me. The future felt so helpless, so out of reach that the present and the past hardly felt worth the effort anymore. I shrugged and watched a spider crawl across the floor. "This is reality. Whatever you've done, you can't save me from it now, Christian."

"No," he said, his voice gruff. "But I can save you from me."


	30. Chapter 30

I won't bore you with the details of the meeting with PR and Legal. Litigate this, deny that, spin this, credibility that...We had pretty solid evidence that Leon was behind the leak so the basic plan was to call Leon and his company out and skewer them over the grill for meddling in the private lives of two consenting adults. And add a cherry on top: the pervy nature of his interest in our obviously graphic love lives.

It wasn't an ideal solution - even a guy like Leon didn't deserve to be ripped in pieces like that - but neither did I. And I'd be damned if I went down without a fight.

Once the particulars had been agreed upon, the PR team went to work creating statements while Legal headed out to dig up more dirt to distract from this particularly juicy news story. I wandered out of the conference room in a daze, unsure exactly what I was going to do next. I had some approvals coming my way once the statements were drafted, but until then, my main goal was to keep my head together. And my heart. Which, as time went on, was beginning to bear the brunt of the stress.

Christian almost blew right by me down the hall but, almost robotically, I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. It was desperation, really. I felt I was about to lose everything and I was finally feeling like I needed to know why.

He stopped without hesitation, but the urgency in his eyes took me by surprise. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.

He took my hand. "I'm going to fix this. I'm on my way out now to do just that."

I hated the tears that tugged at the edges of my eyes, but I had no strength left to fight them. I wanted to ask him why, why did he do this to me? But there was one more even more urgent piece of information I needed to confirm first. In a broken voice, I finally squeaked out, "You did this?"

He face fell. He looked as broken as I felt. His eyes darted around erratically and he rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. His voice was barely a whisper. "Yes."

The tears crashed down. There was no holding back. Badass Ana had packed her bags and left. Maybe for good.

"But not all of it, Ana. I didn't orchestrate this. This mess. It's all on Leon."

I expelled the air in my lungs and tried to contain my sobs. "I don't even know what that means, Christian."

He pulled me back into the conference room, shut the door, and kissed me. Long and hard.

And I welcomed it. God damn it all, I needed him more than ever and I reveled in his mouth, his tongue, his desperate lips. I poured every emotion into that kiss, ran my fingers over his chiseled cheeks and run my hands one more time through his hair. Whatever he had done, I loved the idiot. Even if it was for the last time.

He pulled away despite my attempts to keep him close, to make this moment last forever. "I have to go, Ana. I have to or you'll never forgive me."

"No." I shook my head. "I don't want you to go. Just stay here. Like this."

He took my face in his hands. "Staying here doesn't solve your problem."

My head fell against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me one more time, kissed my head, and disappeared out the door.

I stepped around a few chairs until I got to the kleenex box in the middle of the conference room table and dabbed at my eyes. Christian was right. This was no time to wallow; it was time to fight. I pulled some makeup out of my purse and tried to make myself human again.

By the time I walked back out the door, I wasn't tip-top, but I was functional. Kate put her arm in mine and pulled me to the lobby. "Elliot's waiting downstairs. Let's go get some lunch."

Elliot was standing by the front doors of the building, a huge smile on his face, as usual. Amazing how that guy could float through just about anything without a worry in the world. Normally, it bugged the shit out of me, but in this case it was quite welcome.

He put his arm around me and walked me out the door. "How are you holding up, Ms. Steele?"

I shrugged. "I've had better days. Have you talked to Christian?"

His face became unexpectedly solemn. "Yes." He looked away. "He said you dumped his ass."

"What exactly did you expect, Elliot? He hacked my business. He sold secrets to my competitor."

For the first time in maybe ever, I saw Elliot get angry. "What the hell is your deal, Ana? Were you born yesterday? This is Christian we're talking about." He released his arm from around my shoulders and threw his arms in the air. "I told you this was going to happen. Did I not tell you?"

Now I was getting angry. "What bug crawled up your ass, Elliot? No, you did not tell me Christian was going to dive through my firewall and help the enemy."

Kate placed herself between us. "Guys, come on. There's enough stress as it is."

"Back off, Kate," said Elliot. My eyebrows shot up. "Ana needs to hear this and Christian's too cunt-struck to say a damn thing."

Kate shrunk back with a look that said, "You're on your own."

"I told you he was going to fuck it up," Elliot asserted as we rounded the corner. He got in my face. "I told you he was going to fuck it up big time. I knew you didn't believe me, and now we have the evidence. I tried to warn you. I tried to tell you to be patient."

My teeth were grinding. "This is not a small fuck up, Elliot. This is my business. He knows what this means to me."

Elliot's hands shot to the sky. "Of course he does! WHY THE FUCK DO YOU THINK HE HACKED YOU?"

I was gaping. This was completely out of character for Elliot. He'd completely lost his mind. "You're making absolutely no sense." I shoved around him and stormed down the street, but he kept up with my pace.

"Do you remember when me and Kate celebrated our six month anniversary? Do you remember what Christian got me for an anniversary gift?"

I rolled my eyes as I pounded my way down the street. "I can't say I've paid that much attention to yours and Kate's relationship other than the bumping and groaning I had to put up with at night when I lived with her."

"Background checks."

"What? What in God's name are you talking about?"

"Background checks, Ana. That's what Christian got me for our anniversary."

I stopped short.

"Fifty fucking pages of long, detailed background checks on my girlfriend." Elliot was huffing and puffing. He sat on the edge of a planter and leaned an elbow on his knee. "Why do you think he did that?"

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Because he's an insane tight-ass control freak who has to know everything about everyone?" His intentions hit me as I finished the sentence.

Elliot jabbed his index finger at me. "Exactly." He bent over to nurse a cramp, then sat back up. "This is how he tells people he loves them, Ana. I never looked at those damn papers longer than two seconds - hell, I shredded them the next day. But you know he's a control freak. He has to know everything about what's important to a person he has a significant relationship with. Fuck, he knows my favorite sex positions."

I grimaced. "Okay, that's a little weird…"

"The point is, Ana, he only does this to people he cares about. He doesn't know how to love someone without knowing exactly what he's dealing with down to the most minute detail." He stood up and looked me in the eye. "If he took the risk of hacking into the business that clearly means everything to you, he did it because he is dead-fucking-lost in love with you."

Dead lost in love with me? Holy fuck. "But Leon. How did Leon…"

"I don't know, Ana. You'll have to ask him about that. But I guaran-fucking-tee that Christian had nothing to do with that. It has to be coincidence, Ana."

"I don't know…"

"Hey, I told you he'd fuck it up. And that you'd have to forgive him. If you can't do that yet, at least give him a chance to figure out what the hell happened and make it right."

I watched Elliot closely. He was sincere. He'd lived with Christian his whole life, knew him better than anyone. How could I possibly sit here swimming in my self-pity when there was so much I didn't know?

"Hey." Elliot put his hand on my shoulder. "If there's anything I know about Christian, it's that he's as skilled at cleaning up his shit as he is at pinching it into the pot."

I covered my face with a snort. "God I hope you're right."

"Come on, girl," said Kate. "You need some food. We have a long week ahead."

 _ **More stories at www dot writersoftherain dot com**_


	31. Chapter 31

Tuesday morning I was occupied reviewing our PR statement, making an adjustment here and an edit here. The angle was a bit harsh for me - I was trying to avoid the bitch reputation (even if it was accurate...) that already followed my "single and successful" status - but it had to be confident and direct too, a very tough if not impossible line to walk.

 _We know that a well-known competitor is responsible for this invasion of privacy. There are federal laws in place to fight against this level of outside interest in the intimate details of one's life which we intend to enforce when sufficient evidence is uncovered._

 _Steele-Kavanagh Engineering is full of diverse people from diverse backgrounds with diverse interests. Every employee is valued no matter their personal interests or activities. We would ask that our competitors offer us the same level of respect; recognition that we are all human, we are all flawed in some way, and that our individual quirks do not inform our ability to create amazing companies, beneficial customer relationships, and valuable products that make the world a better place._

 _We do not attempt to defend the revealed actions of our CEO, nor do we feel the need to. We do, however, feel very disappointed in the judgement of competitors we once believed were willing to fight fair._

 _Our commitment to customer service does not change in light of recent events, nor does our commitment to quality and environmental responsibility. We hope you will join us in focusing on what's truly important in this very human world._

When the statement was released later that morning, I couldn't bring myself to watch the coverage. Instead, I buried myself in sales and marketing reports, attempting to get my head wrapped around the damage. It didn't seem so bad - not as bad as I imagined anyways. At least, not until Christian entered my office around lunchtime.

"We lost three top accounts this morning," he announced solemnly.

My jaw dropped. "But our statement...it was one-hundred percent on-point. Did they not see the coverage?"

"Apparently they're less concerned with the immorality of invading someone's private life and more concerned with the perceived "immorality" of a wild sex life with no commitment."

I sank into my chair. "Well then maybe we're better off without those accounts."

"No, Ana. You can't think about it like that."

"That's 'Ms. Steele' to you," I snapped.

He smirked and looked at me provocatively. "I've always wanted to call you that."

I scowled.

"So, _Ms. Steele_ , as I was saying: You can't think like that. This isn't personal; it's business. And the moment you make it personal is the moment you let Leon win. You have to pull yourself out of the equation and figure out how to solve the problem. How do you win your customers over? What do they need to feel comfortable about this situation or, even better, what do they need to get ragingly pissed off at Leon?"

I looked at him blankly for a few beats. "So? I presume you have a suggestion for what the answer to those questions are?"

He stepped back. "Yes. And I can see I'm going to have to call the shots to make this happen because you're clearly not willing to do what it takes to save your own company."

I stood up, livid. "How dare you say that about something I've committed my life -

Before I could finish, he stepped forward and placed his hands on my arms. The warmth pulsed through me, silencing me. "I'm not trying to aggravate you. I would feel the same way if I were you. You're just too close to this. Just...meet me by the fountain in the center of the business square this afternoon at three. I'll take care of the rest." He took my hands in his. "Please, _please_ remember: I'm not doing this for me or even for us. I'm doing it for Steele-Kavanagh Engineering."

Before I could inquire about what kind of hair-brained plan he had cooked up, he was out of the office and blazing down the hall to the elevator.

Well, fuck. Christian was on some mission to save my company and I had no idea what he was up to - and I had even less of an idea as to whether or not I should trust him. Put my faith in the man who caused the whole goddamn problem in the first place? What sane person would do that?

I considered chasing after him, maybe talking him down from whatever he was about to do, maybe firing him for real. But part of me had hope. Part of me believed he really could save my company. After all, he fought much greater odds against his own company.

But then again, he lost.

 _Maybe I just shouldn't show up_. _Maybe this will all just go away if I ignore it. Maybe he'll go away too and I can go back to my normal life. Old crotchety, horny, commitmentless Ana._

I apparently wasn't very convincing because two and a half hours later, I was standing in the middle of the square by the fountain, my dress blowing in a light breeze and storm clouds threatening overhead. I pulled my suit jacket tighter around me and started to wish I'd brought my umbrella. It was a pretty silly oversight - what Seattle resident goes anywhere without an umbrella?

The clock ticked as couples, business partners, and groups of employees wandered past my perch on the lip of the cement border that ran around the fountain. They all seemed to be staring at me. I guess I had earned some kind of strange celebrity status no thanks to Leon. I silently committed to never believe a celebrity scandal ever again.

The sound of the water cascading down tiers of three or four pools was therapeutic to my heightened nerves threatening to spiral me into a panic attack. It hit me how long it had been since I'd sat and meditated. Or done yoga. Or even just sat and listened to the sounds around me.

No time like the present.

I shut my eyes and tried to release my fears for a few moments. I pretended I was alone, that no eyes followed my every movement, that there were no news stories, no engineering company, no sales figures or lost accounts or hundreds of employees relying on me to make good decisions. I focused on the trickling water and the feeling of the cool breeze on my cheeks. I heard the sounds of birds chirping, a light roll of thunder in the distance, and a few small drops of rain.

"I think that's Anastasia Steele, babe," a male voice murmured not far from me. "Did you hear about her?"

"Yeah," said a female voice. "I feel sorry for her. She thinks whoring around will make her happy. Amazing what power does to a woman."

"Well, I like it when you send me text messages like that."

The woman giggled. "You know I like it dirty. That's what single women don't get. You can have all that when you're married, too. If you get with the right guy."

Anxiety rose to the surface but I refused to acknowledge it.

 _Just let it float by, Ana. Let their words float by like rain clouds._

My body relaxed and I fell back into the trance. As my brain fought to bring me back to the concerns of the day, I realized my negative emotions had less hold on me, even after just a few minutes of pause from their power. Good feelings began to peek through again. Everything was going to be fine. We would get through this. As long as the wind kept blowing and the rain kept falling and the world kept turning. Even if people talked shit about me forever and my company went under completely, I would survive that, too. What was it I always heard thought leaders say? Entrepreneurs typically failed six business before succeeding. I was on my second. It was only natural that things should make this progression. Maybe this was just a bump on the road to better and greater things. Maybe...

"You came."

I smiled, but kept my eyes closed as that sexy voice soothed me rather than angered me for the first time in days.

"I think I might come here more often, actually," I said as I reluctantly opened my eyes. "It's quite nice."

Christian's smile was kind and he was giving me that look again. The one that reminded me that I was the only person in his world. "You look beautiful." He grazed my chin with his finger.

I leaned in to his touch.

He pulled away. "We've got to do this before the rain falls. A few news outlets have shown up. The stage is set."

I tried. I really tried so very hard to maintain my zen after he said that, but it was a losing battle. News outlets? Stage? What exactly were we doing? It seemed far more likely that we would make this worse rather than better!

I stood up to protest. It didn't help. Because Christian had lowered to one knee.

One knee. He was on one knee. I couldn't, I didn't, I had no, I just... _What. the. Fuck._

My eyes darted in all directions - there were no less than three news vans, cameras already focused on us, anchors at-ready. A crowd was starting to build. The fountain water became a kaleidoscope of colors and a mysterious string quartet began playing through the outdoor sound system. Thunder rumbled, but our audience didn't give a flying fuck. Smart phones were everywhere, fingers hovering over the shutter button.

I was trapped. Completely trapped. No escape.

"Stay with me, Ana. Stay with me," Christian whispered earnestly. Then, as I prepared to completely implode, he pulled a ring box from his pocket, and held it up in front of me.

"Anastasia. I've loved you since the day we met. It was quite by accident that we've ended up here, but I've never been so grateful for a mistake in my entire life. We're both too stubborn, too pigheaded, and too blunt to ever work. Our relationship is challenging, almost impossible. But with you...impossible feels not only conquerable but elating. I don't ever want "easy" again. Actually, I don't want any certain "kind" of relationship. I just want what we have."

I felt as though the blood from the very top of my head down to my feet was seeping out of my toes and into the asphalt. _Don't say it. For god's sake, don't say it, Christian_. I tried to give him a warning look, to discreetly wave him off, but there was nothing I could do. People were everywhere.

He took my hand. "Trust me," he whispered.

Then, in full voice, "Anastasia Steele: Will you marry me?"


	32. Chapter 32

Thunder rumbled overhead again. I'm not going to pretend the timing wasn't perfect. Eat your heart out, Hitchcock.

But all I could think was, somebody shoot me. Somebody shoot me now.

Or hell, somebody shoot Christian.

I couldn't believe what was happening before my very eyes. As if things could get any worse. My entire body froze - I guess I had that shock paralysis thing down to an art.

Seconds ticked by like they were hours. Smoke billowed from my ears as I stared at Christian like he was on the hot end of an arc welder.

He stared back with equal intensity, warning in his eyes.

Seriously? After all the bullshit of the past few days, after all the moments I asked him to fix this, after all the time I spent insisting this was over and that my only interest was saving my company, after all the times he promised to do something to turn this shit around…

Wait a second. Something wasn't right. This wasn't like Christian at all. He was consistent, predictable (for the most part). A planner, an arduous detail-oriented preparer. This made no sense whatsoever.

His words from earlier that day echoed in my mind. "I'm not doing this for me or even for us. I'm doing it for Steele-Kavanagh Engineering."

Fuck. My. World. I knew exactly what he was doing; he was saving my company. The bastard had found a way to make it happen.

Relief flowed through me, though just a hint of anxiety remained - would he expect me to make good on it? Would we have to go through with it for it to work?

I didn't know the answers, but I knew what I had to do. As usual, Christian had only given me one way out, but this time he'd done his job brilliantly.

I slapped the fakest, but most joyful and genuine-looking grin on my face possible. I even tried to work up a few tears but let's face it: I'm not Meryl Streep.

"Yes!" I cried. "A million, billion times, yes!"

I watched as every nerve in Christian's face seemed to relax. He clearly didn't bank on me figuring out what he was up to - he was wrong. He stood and gathered me in his arms. Applause rang out all around us and he pulled me in for a nice, chaste, but long and crowd-pleasing kiss.

I pulled away, bouncing up and down while he put the ring on my finger. My ecstasy was for the fact that my company was saved, not because of the pretend engagement, but it created the desired effect. We turned around and waved at the crowd and the cameras. The couple that had been making fun of me just moments before stood nearby, beaming. The woman had a tear in her eye.

God people sure get sentimental over commitment shit.

Reporters asked questions, a few brave souls approached us to offer their congratulations; not a single soul mentioned the horrific news release just days before.

Christian was beaming - maybe he thought he had redeemed himself. Perhaps he had. Part of me wondered if he was enjoying this engagement act a bit too much. Part of me hoped he was.

The ring really was something to look at; I'm surprised anyone bothered to look at me with such a shine, sparkly wonder on my finger. He'd bought the real Mccoy - smart move. Anyone in our immediate circles would've known in a heartbeat if he'd gone with something fake or anything smaller than four carats.

The work day was winding down by the time we excused ourselves from the throng and made our way back to the office. I've never been one for Disney movies or make-believe, but I have to admit, I did enjoy feeling like a princess for a few hours.

We didn't say much on the walk back to the office. We listened to the thunder, still rumbling and threatening to dump the kind of torrent that could ruin my custom-tailored Armani dress.

I could've cared less. Christian's arm was wrapped around me and mine around his. I was warm and I felt safe. All those hours ago when I'd tried to convince myself that everything would be okay, I was right. Things were going to be fine.

As we followed the pathway down a row of trees, Christian stopped me, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me. A few people whistled, one or two seemed annoyed that we were blocking the path, but I was enjoying the kiss too much to care. I leaned into it, his hand on my face and then in my hair.

"You're really taking advantage of this ruse, aren't you?" I asked, breathless.

"Can't a guy kiss his fiance without getting the third degree? I'm in love, for God's sake."

I smiled and paused the kiss, the minty smell of his breath still on my lips. "I'm not sure which part of you is pretending right now."

He kissed me again. "Does it matter?"

Rain began to fall. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down the path. "We have to hurry. I just bought this dress!"

He shuffled behind me and a massive clap of thunder rang out so loud, I could swear the ground shook. "You'd better take off those heels or you'll be soaked in seconds."

In a flash, my shoes were in my hands and we were both racing down the path to the sidewalk. We were soaked before we even got there, but we kept going. Past the shops, my favorite deli, and on to the business quarter.

We crashed through the front doors of my building a sopping, dripping, giggly mess.

"I sure hope you keep extra clothes in your office."

"Of course," I replied. "I always keep an extra set of men's clothes too, just in case…" I wandered off as I noticed Christian's nipples poking through his wet white shirt. I shuddered. "Just come upstairs."

We got all sorts of strange stares as we made our way up the escalator and then the elevator. I caught Christian watching me as we climbed floor after floor in the empty elevator. I imaged all the different ways I could strip him down and fuck him right then and there. And God knows, I considered it. Certainly no one who might happen upon it would be surprised considering our reputation.

But I forced myself to focus. We finally arrived on my floor and exited to find a mostly empty office. God was sure making an effort to tempt me. We walked to my office, entered, and I shut the door behind us. We both stood in the middle of the office, our chests heaving, our eyes locked, the sexual tension wetter than our clothing.

"I'll, um..." I swallowed. "...I'll go get changed first."

He nodded curtly and I headed for my fancy executive bathroom.

I walked in, shut the door and leaned up against it. Fuck. What was I -

Before I could finish the thought, the door was thrown open and I was tossed into the middle of the bathroom with it. Christian stood in the entryway, that sexy, determined look in his eye that I knew so well. Without thinking, I started unbuttoning my dress, my eyes never leaving his. I pulled my arms from the sleeves, unsnapped my bra, and just stood there.

Then I said the words I never thought I'd ever say to any man under any circumstances. "I need you."

He came at me like a storm, pushed me up against the bathroom wall, and cradled my face in his hands while he kissed me. Lightning flashed out the bathroom window as he pushed my dress down past my knees to my ankles. I made quick work of his shirt, biting his chest as each new patch of skin was revealed.

When I threw his shirt to the floor, he spun me around and lifted me onto the bathroom counter. He dove for my neck, his mouth hungry and desperate. His hands ran stealthly over my hips, up my waist, pulled at my breasts. I worked his belt and removed his pants, taking a moment to watch him claw at me in his very strained boxer briefs.

I leaned back against the mirror and angled my pelvis upward. He kissed his way down my chest, stopping to suck hard on my nipples, then continued down my belly to the trim of my thong. He pulled into his mouth, gripping it with his teeth, and pulled them straight down my legs to the floor. Then, kiss by kiss, he made his way back up my leg to the apex of my thighs where he nipped and sucked and licked at my clit so that I feared the neighboring office might hear my moaning.

He played his little game, wreaking havoc on my playground until I was tugging at his hair, crying out as I came with fierce intensity. It couldn't have been more than a few days since we'd last had sex but it felt like I'd been deprived for years.

When I came down from the high, I pulled him to me and kissed him again, flitting my tongue against his and enjoying the warmth of his chest on my breasts. I hopped down from the counter to return the favor, but he stopped me. "I'm not done," he gruffed.

He picked me up and I straddled his waist. He pushed me up against the door and I grasped the towel hooks that hung from it. He licked one breast, then the other and then, as he returned to the first and pulled it into his mouth, he slipped his cock into me, slow and steady. I threw my head back against the door, my breasts and my groin on fire. He pushed into me again, in and out, smooth and deep, sweat beading and trickling down his chest in a way that kept my gaze locked. I pulled at the towel hooks, pushing my pelvis up against his so that the tickling sensation scattered up my belly to pierce my heart.

He released my nipple and buried his face in my neck, his groans increasing until he slammed into me, his entire body smashed gloriously against me, buried so deeply I thought I might lose my mind. Instead, I lost control of my body as I pulsed and tensed around him again, a complete slave to the unbelievable sensations of God-fearing, sinfully fucktastic sex.

He released me to the floor, his breath coming in short bursts and I began to wonder how exhausted he was. Had he slept in the past forty-eight hours? He pulled me into a tight hug, slumped against me and the door, his face buried in my neck.

"Are you okay?" I whispered.

He didn't say anything, but just stayed there, his weight pinning me between him and the door.

I rubbed his back, ran my hand through his hair, and tried to comfort him - for what, I didn't know. A few minutes later, I pushed him back. "Let's get you home. You look exhausted."

He nodded. His eyes were bloodshot, his skin pale, his entire body hanging - not the tall, confident manner I was used to.

I turned on the shower and forced him to get in. We cleaned up, toweled off, and put on fresh clothes. I sat him on the corner couch and he immediately kicked his feet up and laid down. I heard a knock on the office door and, without thinking, opened it.

"You guys gonna tell me what the fuck is going on?"

I sighed. "Come on in, Kate."


	33. Chapter 33

"I don't think I'm remiss in pointing out how unbelievably stupid this is. You two have known each other for, what, three months?"

"Just sit down, Kate," I said. "I'll explain everything."

She glanced at the couch where snores were now coming from the side of Christian's drooling lips. "I guess I'll be sitting at your desk, Ms. Steele."

I gestured in agreement.

She plopped into my chair and fixed her wary eyes on me. "This has to be because of the PR nightmare, right? I mean, this can't actually be real."

I shook my head. "It's definitely not real."

She fell back into the seat. "Thank God. You realize this is only going to distract people temporarily, though, right? The media never forgets; they'll come back for you."

I shook my head again. "No, they won't."

"What makes you so sure? And how in God's name is such a short-term solution even momentarily worth being engaged to someone who stabbed you in the back?"

I leaned against the desk. "It took me some time to work it out, too, but it's actually quite brilliant. We've already completely altered public opinion on the text message scandal. Even if we break off the engagement in a year, the breakup might make the news but no one will remember the scandal that started it."

Kate sat forward. "IF you break off the engagement?" 

I huffed. "You know what I mean."

She placed her elbows on my desk. "So explain to me how everyone doesn't jump back on the text message scandal once your engagement story loses steam?"

I looked her in the eye. "Think about it this way: Spying on a single, veritable slut puts more emphasis on the slut and less emphasis on the Peeping Tom, right? Because the sluttiness is the greater sin in the eyes of the public."

She nodded warily.

"So, how do we get the emphasis back on the Peeping Tom?

She shrugged. "Distract them with an engagement?"

I groaned. "You're not getting it, Kate. Okay, remember that case five years ago? Phillips vs. Tompkins?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with -

"The guy was convicted, wasn't he? For spying on a married couple."

She folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, so? They weren't famous."

"More importantly, they weren't single."

"I'm lost, hon. And I'm getting bored. You're gonna have to skip to the punchline."

I sighed. "Oh, for god's sake, Kate. A guy who catches a slut acting promiscuously is a hero. What do you call a guy who catches a married couple acting promiscuously together?"

Her eyes lit up with realization. "A fucking creepy-ass creeper."

"Exactly."

"Wow. So we took him from hero to zero." 

I nodded. "It's amazing how sentimental people get over commitment. They don't give a flying fuck what you do in the bedroom if they believe it supports a greater moral good. But if the overall moral goal is missing…"

Kate rocked in my chair and pursed her lips. "Slutsville."

I aimed a finger gun at her. "Bam." I walked over to where Christian lay.

"Okay, I guess that's pretty smart." She stood and walked towards me. "But what are you going to do? How long are you planning to keep up the act?"

I sat by Christian whose breathing had slowed him into a deep sleep. "I don't know. I haven't thought past today. And I don't really want to."

"He still sold you out to Leon, you know."

"No, I didn't." My attention snapped back to Christian at the sound of his voice. His eyes were still closed and he appeared to be asleep. Did I imagine it?

I glanced at Kate. "You heard him speak too, didn't you? Is he talking in his sleep?"

She glanced between us. "It's the ghost of Christian's past."

He spoke again. "I'm not talking in my sleep."

I looked at him. His mouth was moving but the rest of him was completely still. Quite the ventriloquist, he'd be.

He sat up slowly and rested his elbows on his knees. "I didn't sell you guys out to Leon."

Kate's face became fierce. "Then what the fuck happened?"

He returned her sharp stare, the rings around his eyes deepening. "I hacked Ana; I admit that. I do it with every girlfriend. I don't date anyone I don't everything about, one-hundred percent, from their tax returns to their management style to their favorite animal." He turned to me. "Koala."

Impressive.

"It was bad timing - sorry, _horrible_ timing. I didn't know what Leon was up to. He piggybacked off my hack. I honestly didn't think a guy like that would have the brains to - " he laughed. "Okay, he probably didn't have the brains to do that; he used one of his new hires to do it. Either way, I didn't think he'd be that savvy."

I sunk into the couch and buried my face in my hands. "So you really did start all of this. He got in because of you."

"It was completely unintentional, Ana." He reached over and touched my knee. "By the time I realized what was going on, it was too late. I shut everything down, hacked his own system, threatened him...but the damage was done and my actions only made him even more angry."

I stood up, my fists clenched. "Are you serious, Christian? First you let the bear in and then you poked him? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He shook his head. "Ana, I didn't...I thought…" He rubbed his palms into his pants. "You're right. It's my fault. I probably should have seen it coming. He and I have some history from GEH - I hired him for a while to consult with my agricultural engineering team. My personal assistant at the time was assigned to attend to his needs and they - well, I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure they had an affair. She probably told him all sorts of things about me that no one else would know. I imagine he deduced that I'd be hacking you soon if I hadn't already and he just waited for the optimal moment."

"God!" I moaned.

"Christian, do you have any idea how much damage your little obsession caused?" Kate cried. "All of this for some stupid personality quirk?"

He became staunch. "This has never happened to me before, Kate. I always cover my tracks. No stone unturned. He must have some brilliant kid on his team because I swear to God -

"That's enough," I snapped, my palm extended in Christian's direction. I slowed my breathing and tried to relax. "It happened. Christian caused it and he fixed it. He shit on me and then he cleaned it up, just like Elliott said."

Kate snickered.

"You know what I mean!" I barked.

Christian snickered too.

"It's not funny! Those are the words he used. Do you two have to be such pervs?"

Their chuckling only escalated until they were both gripping their sides. Christian looked up at me and paused long enough to say, "I'm not really into that, Ana, but I'll do it for the sake of the marriage." He barely got through the words before his voice squeaked and he was rolling with laughter again.

The bug caught me and I let a giggle loose. I stifled it, but it snuck in again.

Kate threw in the final blow. "That's what you guys were doing in here before I came in, isn't it?"

I lost it. I started laughing so hard my chest hurt. Me and Kate migrated to the couch and collapsed next to Christian. We must've looked like a gaggle of children giggling over fart jokes.

Christian took me in his arms and buried his face in my neck. In between chuckles he said, "I'm sorry, babe. I really am sorry."

I couldn't resist. "For shitting on me?"

We all exploded again.

"I really feel bad that Elliott's missing this," Kate said between giggles. "Immature jokes are his coups de gras."

"What is he up to right now?" I asked.

"Probably at home watching TV. I should probably head back so I can pour myself a nice big glass of wine."

"That sounds like a great idea."

Kate smiled. "Why don't you guys come over? I think we all need to take a load off and I just bought box of a 1982 Malbec."

My eyebrows shot up. "You don't have to convince me."

Christian stood. "Let's do it. The real work begins tomorrow; I think we could all use a relaxing evening before - " he grinned wickedly, "the shit hits the fan."

I walked to my desk to grab my purse. "What do you mean the real work begins tomorrow? I thought we handled it today."

"That's just the beginning. Leon used the public against us and I'll be damned if I'm going to let him get off without at least knocking the douchebag unconscious." He wandered into the bathroom for his clothes and joined us at the door.

I threw my purse over my shoulder. "How exactly are you going to do that?"

"You heard me say he had an affair with personal assistant, didn't you?"

I nodded. "But you said you don't have proof." 

He pursed his lips. "I don't yet. But she had a crush on me. I'll get it."

I sighed and looked away. I wasn't sure I wanted to make this situation any more dramatic than it already was.

He brushed my cheek with his fingers. "All the public wants is a good story. We gave them the heroes today. Now I want to serve them the villain."

 _ **I will soon be publishing my SECOND novel, called "Players"! Check out the cover on my blog - www dot writersoftherain dot com. I'm looking for people willing to read it and post a review to Amazon next week in exchange for a free digital copy. Please PM me, if interested!**_


	34. Chapter 34

Oh. My God. Life had gotten so crazy, I think I forgot what fun was like. I'd read a million times that laughter is one of the best stress relievers, but I never really took it seriously until that night we headed over to Kate and Elliott's place to hang out.

Christian was beyond exhausted and, frankly, I'm surprised he even had the energy to socialize, but he seemed determined that it was the best thing for all of us so I didn't fight him on the issue.

The car ride over was quiet. I was okay with that. A lot had happened and we both had a lot of information to process. I sat back in Christian's leather seats and listened to the hum of the engine, doing my best not to worry about the fact that I was about to go party on a Tuesday night with a full day of work ahead of me. I placed my hand over Christian's on the gearshift and just reveled in the feel of his warm skin under mine, his calming presence just inches to my left, his ever-control-freak self always there to catch me when my own tendencies ran off on the crazy train.

I laid my head against the headrest and closed my eyes as a choral version of "Hallelujah" came on. It was perfect.

"We can go home and go to bed, if you want," Christian whispered.

Without opening my eyes, I shook my head. "You said we need to go out and have fun. So that's what we'll do."

"We don't always have to do what I want to do."

I smiled. "Tonight we do."

"As you wish, Ms. Steele."

I squeezed his hand.

A few minutes later, we pulled up to Kate and Elliott's apartment complex - a beautiful skyscraper just a few blocks from my place. We sat in the car for a few short moments. I couldn't believe the amazing sense of not being stressed out I was feeling. It had been ages - if ever - since I'd felt that way. With Christian beside me, it seemed my lifetime under my father's thumb was no longer heavy and overbearing. If it was possible, in the silence of the car, it hit me for the first time that Christian might be the only man who had ever loved me.

Could it be? Images of my father screaming at me, locking me in the closet and refusing to let me leave until I promised to appropriately represent the family with good grades that would lead to an Ivy League education flashed through my mind. I hadn't even allowed myself to let those memories in for years. I always watched his hand obsessively, waiting for that moment when it would become a fist, terrified that I had unknowingly displease him when I missed a spot dusting or didn't properly answer a question he asked me at a party with his friends.

It made me hate my mother for putting up with it for so long. Maybe if she had fought, I could have found the strength to the same. Maybe if she had taken me away, I wouldn't have become the achievement machine my father created. Maybe I would have had a chance at a relationship...any kind of relationship. Maybe what I had with Christian could be normal instead of the fucked up mess I'd manufactured.

"You okay, Ana?"

I didn't even realize I'd allowed a tear to escape down my cheek. I sat up quickly and wiped it away, but it was too late. "I'm fine," I lied.

He reached for me and pulled me across the console into his lap. I couldn't believe how amazing it felt to be so gently but firmly handled. To not have to beg someone for love or comfort - to have it so willingly doled out.

He wrapped me in his arms. "It's been a tough few weeks," he murmured.

I nodded. "It's not just that, though." I looked at the ring. "In some way, I...I wish this was real. I wish this was something that actually happened just naturally like it does with normal people. But I don't think I can have this. I don't think I'm capable of it."

He kissed my neck. "Why do you say that?"

I snorted softly. "Look at me, Christian." The tears were falling freely now. "I've fucked this whole thing up. I mean, I fought a relationship with you for weeks, then forced you into a fucked up deal where you work for me in order for us to be exclusive, then when things got tough, I tried to fire you, I never even attempted to understand what happened...I have these deeply strong feelings for you that absolutely terrify me and every time I see you I want to pull you close and push you away at the same time because I'm so goddamn scared that if I let you close I'll end up disappointing you and then I'll go back to being Ana the CEO Skank again and I just don't know if sleeping with a different guy every night is going to do it for me anymore but it sounds better than ending up locked in a closet for hours at a time and wishing I were dead and - "

"Okay, Ana, shhh." Christian gently caressed my face and wiped my tears. "Hey, you're going to be fine, okay? You're going to be just fine." I buried my face in his chest. "You've been through a lot. And I'll be the first to say that there is no such thing as a "normal" relationships. You do what works - and that's what we've done."

"But I've made so many mistakes, Christian. At least at work I know what's expected of me and how to not fuck things up. But with you, it seems like fucking things up is all I know how to do."

"Hey, let's not forget how badly I've fucked things up. I mean, there's nothing normal about my obsession with knowing everything about every woman I date. I don't know a single other human being who runs background checks before a first date."

I glanced up at him through my tears. "That's true. That is pretty fucked up."

He laughed. "But I own it, Ana. Because I know it's what I need. You just need to figure out what it is you need and then we'll work with it."

I gave that some thought. He cradled my hand and played with the ring. "I'm not gonna lie - I wish this was real, too. But I don't think we're ready for that. Not you and not me. We're both pretty fucked up."

I huffed. "Don't say that; it makes me think that this relationship is definitely impossible."

"Well, outside of our fake engagement, I wasn't even sure you were interested in giving this chance anymore. Has that changed? Is that where all of this is coming from?"

I looked up at him and kissed him. His lips were warm and willing. I ran my fingers over his stubble and he placed his hand on mine.

"It doesn't make any sense to me, but yes. I do want to give this a chance. I shouldn't, because the whole thing is complete madness, but madness is the only thing I've known anyways." I paused and ran my fingers down his neck. "There's just something about you I can't seem to let go of. We have talking to do - a LOT of talking to do - but I can't just let this end, no matter how badly it hurts."

I unbuttoned his his shirt halfway down and ran my fingers over his pecs and abs. "And I'm pretty sure it's not just this amazing bod I'm after. But I can't guarantee anything."

He laughed and pulled me to him again, kissing my lips, then my cheek, then nibbling at my ear, my hand still running over his naked chest.

"I'm okay with it if you only want me for my body. Just don't shit on it."

I snickered. "It's okay, I can think of a lot more interesting things to do with it." I pulled apart the rest of the buttons and slid his shirt off his shoulders. He pulled his arms from the sleeves, every muscle flexing. He ran a hand up my dress, around my backside, and beneath my panties.

I kissed him deeper and gripped his biceps. He slid my dress up until it exposed my thong and my waist. I pulled my arms from the sleeves and slid the top half of the dress down to meet the bottom, my breasts exposed and perky. I adjusted my position so I was straddling him and hit the seat recline button. We slowly fell further and further backward until our bodies had full access to every inch of each other. I ground my pelvis into his very hard cock and kissed every inch of his neck and chest.

"Oh, God, Ana…" he murmured.

I unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned his slacks.

"I don't think we should do this here. This parking garage is too big. Someone might see…"

"I don't give a fuck," I growled.

"Ana…" Christian warned. "I don't want everyone seeing your perfect tits. They're mine alone."

I leaned upward so my nipple hung just over his mouth. He took the bait and I moaned. "Well what do you suggest, Mr. Grey? Because I'm not stopping unless you make me."

He cupped my other breast with his hand and spoke in muffles. "That sounds like a challenge."

Shots of pleasure ran through my body as he licked and nipped. "I challenge you to pleasure me like you never have before."

He groaned as he slipped his finger between my legs. "That's not fair. You know I can't back down from that challenge."

I gasped as he rubbed me sensually. "It won't take much…" I said in just barely a whisper.

Suddenly, we heard a knock on the car window. "Get a room, guys!" Then laughter.

Elliott. Oh, I could've killed him. It would've been fair game for the way he killed my moment.

"That fucker is going to hear it from me," Christian began. He sat up and accidentally bumped me against the car horn - the timing was perfect because Elliott was right at the front of the engine and the horn was loud. He jumped sky-high.

I laughed. "Nice work, babe!"

Elliott turned around and flipped us the bird before continuing into the building.

Christian turned to me. "He deserved a lot worse." Then he wrapped his lips in mind again, but this time he was wide and thorough, attacking my mouth like a decadent chocolate treat, and I accepted it with vigor. Our hands ran everywhere, the passion as hard as his dick still was and I hated his boxers for being in between us.

When he finally release me, one hand lingering in my hair and the other still holding my breast, he said, "Let's go inside. I kinda like having you all hot and hooked for later."

I rubbed his crotch. "Are you sure, honey? Because I'd rather have you now."

He closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, then kissed me again. "I wish I could, but the moment has passed. I'll have you however I want you later. And don't worry - it will be unforgettable."

I suddenly didn't want to go to Kate's place at all. I wanted to fuck Christian until the sun came up. He literally had to dress me again and place me on the cement outside the car before I gave in and relented to attending the party. I did notice, however, that when we reached the elevator, he was still hard. I took delight in the fact - at least he was as anxious as I was.

 _ **My new romantic comedy, "Players" is published! This humurous but intense and sexy novel follows Gretel and Breccan, two self-described "Players" who decide to wingman for each other. Grab a copy by searching for "Players Jayne Dixon" on Amazon or copying and pasting this link (remove the spaces): www dot amazon dot com /Players-Jayne-Dixon-ebook/dp/B01MUJLGSC.**_

 _ **If not, please friend me on Facebook here so we can stay in touch and you can read more of my steamy stories :) www .facebook. com ?id=100015350435306**_


	35. Chapter 35

The moment we walked in the apartment door, Christian flew at Elliott. Giving no attention to the goblet of wine that almost ended up shattered across the countertop, Christian threw him over his shoulder and hauled him out to the balcony.

The apartment was on the 23rd floor. If he hadn't been chuckling, I would have been terrified.

"Are you going to let us fuck in your parking garage next time, or do I need to teach you a lesson?" Christian growled with humor.

"Let me down, you dick! You throw me off that balcony and you'll only be fucking during conjugal visits!"

"Say it!" Christian warned. It was a little ridiculous - he was only one step out the back door - but Kate poured me a quick glass of red wine and we clamoured over to watch the show.

"Christian Grey is a shithead!" Elliott cried.

Christian took one more step towards the balcony railing. "Three more steps and you're as flat as my personality."

Both Kate and I busted up.

"You fuck like a platypus!" Elliott's arms and legs were everywhere, but he was no match for Christian. I'm not gonna lie - I liked how easily Christian could throw him around.

Christian took another step. "Just two chances left."

"Come on, man!" Elliott was laughing so hard, he started coughing. "It's my parking garage. Don't I get to give you shit on my property?"

Christian took another step. "Last chance."

"You can fuck like a platypus in my goddamn parking garage!" Elliott finally relented.

Christian stormed back in the house and threw him over the back of the couch so he bounced to the floor.

"Hey! That's premium leather!" Kate cried. "I don't need Elliott's sweat all over it."

Christian walked around the couch a towered over Elliott who was beat red and huffing. He looked down on him calming. "That's all I wanted, man." He lent him his hand and pulled him to his feet.

But, almost as if they were reliving some childhood brotherhood battle, before he reached his feet, Elliott leveraged Christian's balance and pulled him over him, kicking him to the floor and pinning his arms behind him.

Kate looked at me with pride. "He uses that move in the bedroom too."

I almost spit out my wine.

"No more fucking in my garage." Elliott stated, calmly as Christian squirmed below him. "And no more throwing me off the balcony. Capische?"

Christian didn't answer, but continued grunting against Elliott's grip. At last, Elliott let him go and they both stood defensively for a moment.

I rolled my eyes. "First one of you to quit this nonsense gets fucked first tonight."

Without a moment's hesitation, Christian backed up and walked around the couch to me. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me deeply. "I'll take that offer any day of the week. Elliott has a guest room…"

"Uh-uh," Kate wagged her finger at us. "We are gonna have fun tonight. There will be fucking, but that's not on the agenda until later and I will murder you both if you do it in the guest bed."

Christian stopped kissing me long enough to give Kate a confused stare. "Where exactly are we supposed to do it, then?"

She shrugged. "Parking garage?" 

We erupted in laughter as Elliott scowled. "Way to cut off my dick, babe."

Kate pulled him to her with a smile. "I think we've always known who's in charge in this relationship."

He narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…"

They started making out way more intensely than Christian and I had. After a few minutes, I cleared my throat. Very loudly. "Someone said something about fun?"

Kate broke away and practically bounced over to me. "Yes! Okay! We've got the wine…" She looked around the room. "We just need snacks and some good music. And maybe a little Cards Against Humanity?" She shoved me near the sofa. "Sit down on the couch. NO business talk tonight, you hear? And for fuck's sake, I want to inspect that ring!"

Christian and I cuddled on the couch while Elliott streamed some indie rock music. Elliott started telling us this insane story about a guy at work who tried to convince Elliott to prank to the boss so he'd get fired - and how Elliott turned the guy's game on him and got him fired instead.

I cuddled close to my man and let myself relax. I didn't tell any stories. I hardly did any talking at all, actually. I passed the ring around and evaded any relationship-related questions Kate tried to throw at me - she got the hint pretty quick.

I listened to Christian talk more than I'd ever heard him talk in his entire life. He drank enough wine to get mildly drunk and by the end of the evening we were playing some insane mashup between Cards Against Humanity and Twister - how does that even work?

By the time we retired to the guest room around two in the morning, I was exhausted but feeling like I was on cloud nine. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so happy.

We said goodnight to Kate and Elliott who were already half naked before they even got to their bedroom - they'd drank about twice as much as we had - and Christian whispered in my ear that we could always claim she told us to have sex on the bed while she was drunk.

I started hiccuping with laughter as we crashed through the door of the bedroom. Christian shut and locked it and then pushed me up against the wall. His hands cupping my face with force, he spoke between kisses. "You. Make. Me. So. Fucking. Happy."

I snorted. "So this is how drunk Christian talks, is it? I could get used to this." I started unbottoning his shirt and licked my way down his cheek and neck to his chest. I bit his nipple and he jumped. Then I placed my lips strategically next to his ear and whispered, "I could fuck you every second of every day and never get tired of it."

He slammed me against the wall again and shoved his tongue into my mouth. I enveloped all of him, sucking him into oblivion. Then I pushed him back. "I want to strip for you," I said seductively.

He came back towards me, an animal hunger in his eyes. "I don't think I can wait that long for you to get naked."

"I know," I moaned. "I want you aching. I'm going to make this painfully torturous for you." I placed my hand on his chest and pushed him on the bed. "What do you want to see first, baby?"

He grabbed my hips and bit my breast through my dress. "I want those tits. I want them now."

I moved his head away from me. "Patience, baby. Patience."

I stepped back and began to move seductively, very slowly, very anxiously pulling my dress down. Just before it slipped below my tits, I let go and ran my hands through my hair, winding my way seductively to the floor and back up again.

"Now," Christian growled.

The moonlight cascaded beautifully through the bedroom window, perfectly highlighting my strip tease in the darkness. I teased the bottom of my dress up until it almost showed my thong, then dropped it back down again. Christian's eyes were locked on me.

At last, I threw my head back and dropped the entire dress to my feet, just my thong left.

"Fuck. I need to touch you." I could hear the angst in Christian's voice.

"I'm going to come to you," I said, "but you can't touch me. Only I can touch you."

"That's fucking cruel," he moaned.

"I know," I replied with a satisfied smile.

I approached him, but kept my distance to make sure he followed the rules. "I will sucker punch you in the face if you touch me," I iterated.

His eyebrows raised. "Promise?"

I punched his shoulder - hard. "Now imagine that was your face."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay…"

He sat obediently, his eyes crawling over me as I placed the tip of my index finger on his cheek. I dragged it slowly downward, barely grazing his skin: Down and across his jaw, down his neck, down his chest to his belly. I stopped there and began to dance again, slow and sensual. I slowly removed my thong and kicked it off to the side. I continued my dance as I unbuckled and removed his pants, stealing a brief suck of his cock before I tossed them to the side.

"Can I touch you now?" he breathed.

I leaned into his ear and bit it. "Not yet."

I turned around and rubbed my ass into his crotch, smiling at the sound of his moans. "I'm gonna come without out you if you're not careful."

I smiled. "I would take it as a compliment."

I leaned back into him and ran my hands through my hair, breathing loud and slow. I let a brief moan escape my lips.

"That's it, I'm done with this."

Before I could protest, his arms were wrapped around me, his hands on my nipples, my belly, my neck, my ass. He maintained some measure of self-control as he kissed and nipped at my neck, holding me as tight against him as humanly possible.

I didn't sucker punch him. God no. His hands all over me was sexy as fuck. I lay my head on his shoulder and just let him have his way with me, my body writhing against him and wondering how long i would make him wait before I could no longer stand the feel of his cock on the outside rather than the inside.

His hand wandered between my legs and I released a very intense, very satisfied sigh.

"Up," Christian commanded.

I stood up just a little so he could adjust his position, and then sat on him so he slid perfectly inside. He started moving in circles immediately - my favorite move. If I hadn't been drunk, I would've worried about the increasingly loud moaning and groaning sounds coming from us, but hell, I didn't give a fuck at that moment. I split my legs as wide as they would go, hoping he could dig in even deeper. I started touching myself and he placed his hand on mine, moving with me.

"I don't like this. I need to taste your tits when I come."

He flipped me around so I was straddling him. Just for those few seconds, I missed having him inside me. He plowed back in with gusto and I threw my head back as his lips sought out my nipples.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaawd…"

The shots of pleasure ran straight from head to toe as I came. His hands held me firm at my back, his lips licking and sucking the fuck out of my breasts, and his cock hitting every button from the inside - god, he was good. I let out a long and delicious cry as my orgasm came to its peak. Just as I was starting to come down, he came inside me, thrusting powerfully, every muscle and vein in his body doubling in size. I ran my hands over them in wonder, delighting in my own ability to do such a thing to such a beautiful man.

"Fuck my life, Ana," he whispered as he came down from his own orgasm. "You sure know how to tease a man to the point of insanity."

"And you loved every second of it."

"God help me, I did."

We didn't bother with pajamas. We just snuggled up next to each other in bed and let our bodies take us to wonderland.

Just before I drifted off, Christian whispered, "I love you so fucking much, Ana. Don't ever leave me. Please don't ever leave me."


End file.
